RWBY-YYRN
by jws381
Summary: When their foes flee to another universe, a group of Persona users go after them, finding themselves in the world of Remnant and a part of a bigger conspiracy. Spoilers for Persona 4 and RWBY. Warning: Violence, Strong Language, Adult Situations. This story is not a continuation of my previous writing. Vol 1 (Ch1-20): Chaos. Vol 2 (Ch21-36): Slumber. Vol 3 (Ch37-54): Death.
1. Arm Yourself

***PLEASE READ: This story is entirely unrelated to anything I've written previously. I'm starting from scratch here. There will be instances where events from my other stories are repeated because I'm working with some of the same themes. This story assumes you have not read _The Other World_ or _Shadows of Beacon_. If you have read them, just be ready to read some of the same stuff with a new twist to it. Enjoy.***

Chapter 1

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now." Sho Minazuki demanded, holding one of his blades to Adachi's throat. "Why are you even here you backstabbing son of a bitch?"

Adachi smiled. "Go ahead and do it." He said. "God knows I'm tired of living. Just know that I did you a favor. I knew that monster was going to screw you over and I tried to stop that. If you'd gotten it through your thick skull sooner we wouldn't be in this mess." It was only partially true. Adachi had also acted as he did because it benefitted him. Having the world destroyed was no good for anyone living in it. Sho grunted angrily and released Adachi, turning his back and grumbling to himself. "Now, I know it's hard for a little brat like you, but can we try to act like adults now?" Adachi sneered. "We're not on earth anymore. Just looking at the moon tells me that." He pointed to the shattered orb that hung high above them. "This could be a golden opportunity, for both of us."

"Fine." Sho sighed. He hated to work with the bastard but he did not have much choice at the moment. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, judging by the lights over that way, there's a city." Adachi observed. "Where there's a city, there's people. Where there's people, there's people to take advantage of."

"We don't know anything about that place." Sho said. "It's probably full losers. Who needs people anyway?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Adachi asked, getting increasingly frustrated with Sho. "I know you think everybody sucks and I'm inclined to agree, but sitting out here in the wilderness isn't going to do us any good. Besides, there's fun to be had in a place where no one knows who we are."

* * *

Yu awoke to the high-pitched ringing of his cell phone. Who would be calling before sunrise on a Saturday? He rolled over, grabbed the phone and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?" He said groggily.

"Hello, I'm sorry to wake you." Margaret said on the other end of the line. "I think I've located Sho Minazuki."

Yu was suddenly wide awake. "Where is he?" He asked eagerly.

"It's a bit difficult to explain." Margaret admitted. "Suffice to say he's no longer in this world. He's not alone either." She paused for a moment as if to let it sink in. "Tohru Adachi is with him."

Now she really had his attention. "Where are they?" He asked. "I'm going after them."

"I would advise against this, but I know you won't change your mind." Margaret said. "Meet me in Inaba when you can. Bring what companions and supplies you would need for an extended stay and I will take you to them."

* * *

"This place sucks." Sho complained as he and Adachi walked down the sidewalk. They were in a city called Vale. The planet was called Remnant. The inhabitants were human enough and seemed to speak the same language, and the two had had no trouble fitting in. "Let's kill someone." Sho said.

"Moron." Adachi grunted. "Have you seen the weapons they have here? I don't care how well you fight; if you attack someone they'll tear you apart. Half of the people here are professional warriors. Do you even pay attention?"

"Maybe I'll kill you then." Sho threatened.

"You don't have the balls." Adachi countered. He paused for a moment and pointed to a store front. A number of dangerous-looking weapons were on display. "Look, if you want to cause trouble, at least arm yourself properly."

"We don't have money stupid." Sho said. "You want me to rob a weapon store? Who's the moron now?"

"You don't have money." Adachi said. He pulled a handful of what looked like credit cards out of his pocket. "You'd think with all the criminal expertise you've got you'd have learned to pickpocket by now." He tossed a few cards at Sho. "Buy yourself something nice."

Sho walked into the weapons shop and the proprietor immediately focused on Sho's swords. "Nice blades." The man said. Sho did not respond. "They look like antiques but I bet I could modernize them for you."

"You think?" Sho was surprised. "What the hell? Go nuts." He placed the swords on the counter.

"It'll be pretty easy to build pistols into the handles." The shop owner said, examining one of the swords. "What do you think?"

"Go for it." Sho said. "How much is this gonna' cost?"

"That depends on the quality." The owner said. "How much are you looking to spend?" Sho slapped the cards down on the counter and slid them forward. "Mid-range it is. Give me a few hours and they'll be ready."

"Perfect." Sho smiled. He was already imagining how he would use his new weapons to kill the store owner and steal all his cash. "Making weapons around here, you must make a killing." Sho laughed hysterically at his terrible pun as he walked out. The shop owner, somewhat confused, watched him leave before going to work.

"What are you so happy about?" Adachi asked, leaning against the wall outside.

"The joke I made." Sho said.

"Your jokes suck." Adachi taunted.

"Fuck off." Sho said. "What have you been up to?"

"I just got some special ammo for my revolver." Adachi said. He spun it on his finger before catching it and flipping the cylinder open. "Apparently everything around here runs on something called dust. It sounds stupid but that shit packs a punch." He slapped the cylinder back into place and pointed the gun at Sho's head. "Now that you're unarmed I should end you." The serious look on his face disappeared and he burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face. Man, we're going to have some fun here."

* * *

It was Sunday morning and Yu was ready to go. With a large bag full of clothes and assorted items slung over his shoulder he was ready to chase Sho and Adachi. He waited at the train station for Rise and Naoto to arrive. He would have asked the others to come along, but he felt too guilty. They were all living normal lives. Well, normal for them at least. Naoto and Rise's lives were anything but, and they had been searching for Sho too. Rise traveled a lot and had her Persona's abilities to help in the search, and as a detective Naoto was ideal. Even if he hated to drag them away they would insist on coming.

Naoto soon arrived, carrying what looked more like a large purse than luggage. Apparently she traveled light. Rise was not far behind, dragging a bulging rolling suitcase with her. Yu found it funny that they both met their particular stereotypes. Of course he would never tell them that.

"You're both ready for this?" Yu asked.

"Of course." Rise said cheerfully. "A vacation with Senpai, you spoil me."

"The others aren't coming?" Naoto asked nervously. "It's just the three of us?"

"I didn't want to bother them." Yu explained. "They're just getting back to normal. It wouldn't be fair to them."

"So, where are we going partner?" Yosuke asked, seeming to appear out of nowhere. He walked up to Yu and slapped him on the back.

"But how did…" Yu was shocked. "I didn't want…"

"Oh give it a rest." Yosuke said. "You know you want me to come. Don't give me some excuse about living a normal life. I share a house with Teddie. Normal has literally no meaning to me."

"Did you tell the others?" Yu asked. "How did you even…"

"No, I didn't tell them." Yosuke said, much to Yu's relief. "As to how I figured it out, it was pretty obvious. When I see the three of you in Inaba together, carrying luggage including weapons, it doesn't take a detective to figure out that you're going to fight somewhere. And given the recent events, I'd say this has to do with Sho. You guys must have tracked him down and now you're going after him."

"Why are you even here?" Naoto asked. "The train station isn't near anything you're interested in."

"So his uncle told me he was coming and I decided to meet him here." Yosuke admitted. "A detective should know the value of a good tip."

"I thought I'd stop in and say hi before we left." Yu laughed uneasily, scratching the back of his head. "So much for secrecy."

"So gang, where are we going?" Yosuke asked.

* * *

"I thought you were planning to rob the place." Adachi said as Sho exited the weapons ship carrying his newly upgraded swords. "Chicken out?"

"There are too many people in there." Sho defended himself. "We can't take the risk of there being witnesses."

"That's disturbingly logical for you." Adachi observed.

"I want to kill them too, pricks." Sho said. "The two assholes flashed badges and said they were junior detectives. They didn't look like detectives to me. One of them wasn't even wearing a shirt. The other guy was a total loser."

"Detectives huh?" Adachi said. "Why are they here?"

"I don't know." Sho replied. "They were saying some crap about a criminal organization in the city and asking if I saw anyone suspicious. The morons didn't even realize I'm the most suspicious person on the planet. I guess you're not the only idiot with a badge."

"A criminal organization operating around here." Adachi thought aloud, ignoring Sho's insult. "That sounds like an opportunity."

"Being a detective I thought you'd look for a cop-ortunity." Sho laughed hysterically.

"You do realize that you're not the least bit funny." Adachi complained.

* * *

"This could take days, won't we be missed?" Rise asked.

"I'll take care of it." Margaret assured her. "Here, you'll need this." She handed Yu a bunch of what looked like credit cards. "Local currency. I hope it's enough."

"Yosuke, are you sure you want to come?" Yu asked. "It could be dangerous."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Yosuke said. "After everything we've been through I'm not backing out now."

"Where exactly are you sending us?" Naoto asked.

"It's another universe." Margaret explained. "The shadow world is separate from this world, and the place you're headed is separate too."

"Parallel universes?" Yosuke said excitedly. "Very sci-fi, I like it. Is it full of monsters?"

"It's much more like earth than the shadow world." Margaret explained. "The inhabitants are mostly human and should not be hostile."

"It'll be nice to go someplace where nobody knows who I am." Rise said. "The place not being full of things trying to kill us is a bonus too."

"I didn't say that." Margaret clarified. "The local wildlife will be dangerous but nothing beyond your capabilities."

"We should really get going." Yu said. "We need to find Sho and Adachi as soon as possible. That world is at risk as long as they're in it."

* * *

It was clear to Sho and Adachi that they were going to be spending quite some time in this world. They would need supplies, with changes of clothes being high on the list. Adachi give Sho more of the money he had stolen and Sho headed off to find something to his liking. Adachi did not want to dress like a kid, so he went his own way, looking for a suit or something suitably classy. He was a criminal and knew it, but he was going to be a well-dressed one, not some slovenly thug. He walked down the street, reveling in the knowledge that nobody here knew he was a wanted man. He was free.

"Stop it!" A female voice shouted from an alley. "Leave me alone!" Adachi was curious and hell, this could be an opportunity for some fun. He rounded the corner of the building to see a group of guys, high school age by the look of them, picking on a girl, pulling on her tail. Adachi had read about Faunus but this was his first actual encounter. They were an oppressed minority on Remnant. They were just the sort of group he could exploit, just as long as he could get them on his side. Help one and word might spread.

Adachi was a sociopath, no question, but even sociopaths have their own twisted, self-serving morality. "Hey guys, what's going on?" He said casually as he approached. The three men turned to face him. "You got some problem with her?"

"You here to stop us?" One of the men asked threateningly.

"No, I'm just curious." Adachi replied with his characteristic calm and condescension. "Is she a bitch? She cheat on you or something?"

"She's a Faunus." Another of the men said as if to justify their actions. "Isn't that enough?"

"So you're picking on her because she's different." Adachi sighed. "How childish. Punks like you make me sick. You make life really shitty. It's so annoying." He hated people who refused to grow up. The sooner you realized how shitty the world is, how things really work, the better. If you did not, you were just making it worse for him.

"Faunus lover huh?" One of the men said. His anger was clear. He stomped toward Adachi, cocked his arm and loosed a furious punch at him.

Adachi sidestepped the strike and punched the punk in the side of the head. The man was momentarily stunned but growled and turned to attack again, only to find a revolver pointed at his forehead. "I'm not here to mess around." Adachi said. Terror spread across the punk's face as his friends took off. Adachi snapped the gun downward and pulled the trigger, blasting a hole in the punk's foot. "Now, get the fuck out of here and grow up." Adachi said over the punk's scream of pain. The punk hobbled out of the alley as fast as he could, calling after his friends to help.

"Th-thank you." The Faunus said. "I don't…"

"You get out of here too." Adachi said. "Don't make me regret helping you." She ran off. Adachi considered following her, having some fun, but decided against it. That would only bring unwanted attention. He had plans and he was not about to let his passing fancies get in the way.

* * *

"Ugh, my head." Yosuke said. "It's like I got punched."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad." Yu admitted without showing any pain. "Are you two alright?"

"I'll be fine." Naoto said. She grimaced, one eye pressed closed, and held her head.

"I feel sick." Rise complained, kneeling and doubled over. She looked like she might vomit.

Soon the feeling passed. Traveling between worlds was unpleasant to say the least. Conveniently, they were near a city. Yu hoped Sho and Adachi were there too. The sooner he tracked them down, the sooner he could go home. The group headed for the city, a place apparently called Vale, and after asking around a bit found a hotel where they could stay. The people were friendly enough and seemed to speak the same language. Two rooms cost a few thousand Lien. Margaret had given them tens of millions. Either she had given them far too much or this place was a dive. It turned out to be the former. After dropping off their things, they headed out. Before they could find Sho and Adachi, they would need to learn more about the world.

* * *

"I can't believe you found clothes almost exactly the same as the ones you came with." Adachi said. "The people here really have no taste."

"Have you seen the way some of them dress?" Sho asked. "Freaks. Half of them look like they're wearing Halloween costumes."

"Their bizarre clothes do present benefits." Adachi admitted. "Those elaborate outfits are much easier to pickpocket. I think we might have hit the jackpot when it comes to women too."

"You only like to kill sexy ones huh?" Sho taunted.

"I don't hate women." Adachi said. "One day I'd like to settle down with a pretty girl, one who's a good cook and does what I say."

"You want a slave girl then?" Sho said. "How romantic. Be sure to invite me to the wedding."

* * *

After a few hours at a library, Yu, Yosuke, Rise and Naoto had a pretty good feel for the world. Some of the nuances were surely lost on them but they would be able to get by. It was comforting to find out that the world was full of professional warriors. Sho and Adachi would have a hard time doing any damage with so much armed opposition. The only worry was about shadows. If Sho and Adachi somehow figured out how to connect to a shadow world here, things could get very dangerous very fast. They would also need to better arm themselves. Blades were woefully insufficient here. Every weapon seemed to be a combination of multiple types of arms. A sword that's a gun, a hammer that's a gun, a gun that's two types of gun.

They group decided to visit a weapon shop to properly equip themselves. "Hi, I'm looking for something in a sword that's also a gun." Yu said to the shopkeeper.

"We've got plenty." The man said. He pointed to a corner of the store. "That section over there has a bunch of options." Naoto was looking for something similar, so she and Yu went off to browse.

"I'm not very strong." Rise said. "Do you have anything with less kick?"

"I know just the thing." The shopkeeper said. He disappeared into a back room before returning moments later carrying what looked like a spear. "Plant the back end against a wall or the ground, point the tip at the enemy and pull the trigger." He said, demonstrating with the spear aimed straight up. The spear suddenly extended, the blade at its point shooting upward with tremendous speed. "Press this button here and it turns into a directed energy weapon." Rise looked at him quizzically. "A laser." He clarified. "No recoil." She picked it up to examine for herself while Yosuke took his turn.

"Do you have anything like this?" Yosuke asked, placing his twin Kunai on the table.

"More antiques." The shopkeeper mumbled. "Yeah, smaller weapons are over there."

"What do you mean more antiques?" Yosuke asked.

"Oh, yesterday some kid came in and asked me to upgrade some antique swords." The shopkeeper replied. "I don't usually see too many plain blades like that anymore."

"What did he look like?" Naoto asked.

"What did he look like?" The shopkeeper repeated. "He had a big scar on his face, red hair I think. He made a painfully stupid joke."

Yu and Naoto looked at each other. "Sho." They said in unison.

"Did he have anyone with him?" Yosuke asked.

"He came in alone." The shopkeeper replied, straining to remember. "I think he met up with an older guy outside. You know him?"

"Don't worry about it." Rise said. "He's an acquaintance." The group hurriedly purchased their weapons. Yu got a katana that, once in its sheath, converted into an assault rifle. Yosuke got a pair of blades that transformed into Uzi-like SMGs. Naoto selected a rapier that was also a semi-automatic rifle. Rise stuck with the spear the shopkeeper recommended.

"You can buy ammo in the dust shop next door." The shopkeeper said helpfully. "Show them your receipt and you'll get a discount."

"They're definitely here." Yu said once the group was outside. "There's not another city anywhere near here, so they wouldn't leave." They allowed themselves to think their adventure might be nearing its conclusion already. It was just getting started.

* * *

It was too late. The train rapidly approached the end of the line, a metal barricade blocking the way. Team RWBY stood atop the speeding locomotive as it sped toward destruction. "What do we do?" Blake asked. Ruby and Weiss looked at each other and nodded. Weiss thrust her sword down into the top of the train and the entire team was encased in ice. Then it hit.

As the dust settled, Ruby struggled to focus. It had been a tremendous impact. She was seeing double and everything hurt. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear an alarm. She looked around. They were in Vale. People all around the crash site just stared. Suddenly, the ground shook as hundreds of Grimm burst through the breach the train had created, descending upon the unsuspecting city and its helpless citizens. The members of Team RWBY struggled to their feet. The situation was dire but they were Huntresses. With determination they engaged the horde of Grimm. The kingdom was in danger and it was their job to save it.


	2. Cracks In the Facade

Chapter 2

Adachi was out looking for Faunus. If he was going to use them, he would have to get in their good graces. He was aware of a terrorist group, the White Fang, which was apparently large and powerful. They may hate humans but they would need human allies to succeed. He planned to place himself in that role. They would use him, but he would use them too. He was happy Sho did not want to join him. He would have just caused trouble anyway. This was going to require tact and charm, and Sho was too much the blunt instrument.

The ground shook and the silence was broken by the sound of a distant explosion. Alarms started going off all around. Adachi had no idea what it all meant, but it could be an opportunity. He heard screams, familiar ones. He headed toward them and found a group of Faunus, including the one he had encountered earlier, huddled in terror as a gigantic black monster approached them. It looked a bit like a bear. If he was going to get the Faunus to take notice of him as a potential savior, this was his chance.

Adachi drew his revolver and aimed at the back of the monster's head. He fired and watched as the bullet smacked into its target only to ricochet off harmlessly. The creature growled and turned around to face him. Well, that had not gone well. He emptied his gun into the beast, hoping the dust rounds he had purchased would do some damage, but they may as well have been BBs against something this size. The monster charged. Now the he was in real trouble. He needed his Persona and he needed it now. Would it even work here? He focused, extended his hand at the oncoming beast and went for it.

* * *

"Was than an explosion?!" Yosuke exclaimed. A pillar of smoke rose into the sky, its source not far from the group. Alarms sounded all around them.

"Whatever that is, it's trouble." Yu said. "We should go help." Without waiting for input from the others, he ran off in the general direction of the commotion. The others followed close behind.

Yu rounded a corner at full sprint and ran face first into someone running in the other direction. Both tumbled to the ground as more people ran past. The man he had run into sprang to his feet and raced off as Yu sat up. Yu turned to look at what they were running from. It looked like a pack of werewolves. Yu drew his weapon in rifle form and took aim. He fired into the onrushing crowd of monsters, tearing black and red chunks out of some of them as they fell. A larger specimen seemed undeterred by his attack and charged straight into Yu. He flew backward and slammed into a wall. It hurt, but he was happy to just be alive. The impact should have killed him.

He got back to his feet in time to see the werewolf running at him again. It was clear that his weapon was useless. He would need his Persona. He stretched out his arm and concentrated, hoping to summon Izanagi to deliver a blast of electricity. To his surprise, the electricity flowed from his own arm, arcing through the air before coursing through the monster. It writhed for a moment before falling over and evaporating. There was no time to admire his handiwork; there were more approaching.

Having seen what Yu did, Yosuke was ready to take action. He unleashed a blast of wind that slammed one of the monsters into a building. It was crushed against the wall in a spray of red and black before it fell to the ground and evaporated. "Head's up Yosuke!" Rise warned as another monster approached him from the side. He turned to face it but was too late. It swung its claws into him, sending him tumbling to the ground. He was amazed to be alive.

"I've got you." Naoto said. A blast of fire emanated from her outstretched arm, incinerating a group of the werewolf monsters. As the flames died away, the rest of the creatures were running away.

"They're all retreating." Rise reported, her eyes closed in deep concentration. "There's still fighting going on elsewhere but…" Just then an aircraft appeared overhead. It looked a bit like a V-22 Osprey. A gun under its nose unleashed a stream of bullets into the fleeing creatures, tearing them to pieces. "Looks like the army's here, with more on the way too."

"I guess this means we can wield our Personas' powers now." Naoto observed. "This could get interesting."

* * *

Adachi was shocked as a blast of wind shot out from his hand and knocked the monster off its feet. It was unexpected but certainly welcome. "I like where this is going." He said with a wide grin. He unleashed a bolt of electricity into the monster as it struggled to stand. It writhed and fell back to the ground. "I really like this!" With a wave of his hand, several spectral swords appeared, slicing through the downed creature. As chunks of red and black were torn from the beast it evaporated. He laughed maniacally before remembering the reason he was here.

Not far away, the group of Faunus still huddled together. "Thank you for saving me, again." The one from earlier said.

"So he's the guy huh?" One of the others said. This one was bigger and had what looked like cat ears. "You're a hero pal. The Faunus don't have many friends like you."

His plan was working perfectly. He also loved being called a hero. "Anything to help the Faunus." He said.

"Anything?" The large Faunus asked, seeming to imply deeper meaning.

"Anything." Adachi replied confidently. Perfect.

* * *

Sho watched from a rooftop as monsters terrorized the town. He would have joined in the fun but it was too good a show. Watching people and then the monsters get torn apart was thrilling. A train wreck and a massacre? What a day he was having. Then something odd caught his eye. A group of three dragged a man out of the train. He looked happy to see them. They definitely knew each other. As they talked his expression darkened, fading to one of solemn resolve. One of the three left as the other two pushed the man along. Sho followed. They turned him in to the authorities! Something was definitely up. This could be his chance for some real fun.

* * *

That had taken a turn. Yu, Yosuke, Rise and Naoto had helped save the city. Then they were arrested. Well, not arrested exactly. Naoto tried to explain but it felt like an arrest, doubly so after they were taken to a police station and herded into an interrogation room. The soldiers that had taken them there would not answer their questions. The dark windowless room was lit by a single light overhead. They waited alone, sitting behind a table, for someone to come and tell them what was going on.

Finally, the door swung open slowly and an older man walked in. He sat across the table from the group and took a sip of his coffee. For a moment he just looked at them over the top of his glasses, a pleasant smile on his face. "I've got to thank you for your help today." He said. "People were in danger and you didn't hesitate to help. I admire that." He pulled a device out of his pocket. It looked a bit like a transparent iPad. Various video clips of their fight played on the screen. "You have some impressive skills. You're a little clumsy with your weapons, but you would be with ones you only purchased earlier today."

"How do you know that?" Yosuke asked.

"It's my job to protect this city." The older man said. "As part of that, I like to keep an eye on things, particularly when a group of unknown outsiders show up suddenly." He paused. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Ozpin, protector of Vale and headmaster of Beacon Academy. The fact that you don't know who I am tells me a lot. You're certainly not from around here. You're not familiar with the politics of this place and you're not professionally trained fighters. Not professionally trained anywhere around here that is." Naoto was impressed with his detective work. "I'm not going to ask where you're from. That's irrelevant. What I want to know is why you're here."

"We're looking for someone." Yu replied. "Two men actually. Like us, they're far from home. We also believe they pose a danger to this place."

"They're wanted criminals." Naoto explained. "It's our responsibility to capture them."

"That's quite a responsibility for such young individuals." Ozpin said.

"We've stopped them before." Rise said.

"One of them is Sho Minazuki." Yu said. "He's about our age, has a prominent X-shaped scar on his face, and bright red hair. The other is Tohru Adachi. He's older, tall and thin with black hair."

"If I hear anything I'll keep you informed." Ozpin said. "In the meantime, I have a proposal for you. You're welcome to stay in this city as my guests until you complete your mission, but there is an alternative. Come to Beacon Academy for combat training. I'm sure it would be valuable for capturing these men."

"It would also make it easier for you to keep an eye on us." Naoto observed.

"That it would." Ozpin admitted with a smile. "Fighters of your age from all over the world strive to attend Beacon. The opportunity is not extended to many, let alone novices such as yourselves."

"We'll do it." Yu volunteered. "It benefits all of us."

"Very good." Ozpin said. "Glynda, please come in here." He called back through the open door.

A blonde woman carrying a riding crop entered. "Sir?" Glynda asked.

"I'd like to introduce you to our new students." Ozpin said. Glynda rolled her eyes. "Go ahead and introduce yourselves." He said to the group.

"I'm Yu Narukami; it's nice to meet you." Yu said politely.

"Yosuke Hanamura." Yosuke said.

"I'm Rise Kujikawa." Rise said cheerfully.

"My name is Naoto Shirogane." Naoto said.

"Yu, I take it you're the leader of the group?" Ozpin inquired. Yu nodded. "Good. See that team YYRN [iron] is enrolled and that we're prepared for their arrival tomorrow."

"Yes sir." Glynda sighed. "A room will be ready, along with uniforms. I'll schedule them for classes as well. What year?"

"Group them in with this year's new students." Ozpin said.

"They're in their second semester already." Glynda protested. "Are you sure this group is ready?"

"They'll be fine." Ozpin said. He took a sip of his coffee and stood up. "You're free to go. The airship to Beacon will pick you up at the station downtown tomorrow morning. I look forward to seeing you again."

* * *

Adachi could not help but feel like he had walked into a scene straight out of _The Godfather_. Cal, the burly Faunus man he had helped, had brought him here. He looked very nervous. They waited in a rather fancily decorated room as Cal appeared to get increasingly worried. Finally, a door swung open and a Faunus woman walked in. "He'll see you now." She said. Cal nodded nervously and motioned for Adachi to follow him.

They entered a room that looked like an executive's office. Another Faunus man, this one with what looked like ram horns, sat behind an elegant wooden desk. He wore a mask, a clear sign of the White Fang as Adachi understood it. "Why have you brought a human here?" The Faunus asked after examining the pair for a moment.

"Sir, this man is a hero and a friend of the Faunus." Cal explained. His nervousness was obvious. He was sweating profusely and looked as if he was on the edge of having a heart attack. Apparently this ram Faunus was a big deal. "First he saved my daughter from some human thugs, and then he saved my whole family during the Grimm attack. He says he'd do anything to help the Faunus. I've seen him fight: he's powerful. I thought he could…"

The ram Faunus waved his hand and Cal stopped short. "Alright, I get it." The Faunus said. "Please wait outside." He said to Cal. Cal sighed in relief and nodded before slipping out. "So, you would do anything to help the Faunus?"

"I would." Adachi said with a confident smile.

"Would you kill?" The Faunus asked. "Would you kill a human?"

"I already put a bullet in one of those thugs." Adachi said. "He'll live, but I have no qualms about putting down punks like that." His smile grew as he leaned toward the Faunus. "I've killed before." He said in a somewhat threatening tone.

"Have you?" The Faunus said. He was hard to read but Adachi was confident that he was getting somewhere. "As much as it pains me to work with a human, the Faunus are in need of allies from your species." The Faunus finally said. "Just be prepared to be treated badly. There are those among the Faunus that will never accept you, they'll always hate you, they'll spit on you, talk behind your back. We will never really trust you."

"I honestly don't care." Adachi said. "I've dealt with shit like that before. Humans suck too as I'm sure you know. Besides, I'm sure they'll come around once I show them what I'm capable of."

"Very well." The Faunus said. "Take this." He slid what looked like a smartphone across the table. "I will call you when you are needed."

"I'll be ready." Adachi said. He walked out with a big smile on his face. Things were going exactly as he had hoped.

* * *

The view from the airship was breathtaking and Beacon Academy was no less impressive. It looked like a fairytale castle. YYRN disembarked carrying their weapons and what luggage they had. Beacon was huge and they had no idea where to go. They had the address of their dorm room, but they did not even know where the dorms were. Without warning a redheaded girl in a school uniform rushed over and began shouting at them.

"I haven't seen you before!" She said far too loudly. "Did you just get off the airship? You must be new! I love meeting new people! It's so fun! Those weapons look pretty cool, did you make them? Your clothes are interesting too, are you from Vacuo? Mistral maybe? Are you here for the festival? Will you be in the tournament?" None of them could get a word in edgewise as the girl kept on talking with horrifying cheerfulness.

A boy, his hair black with pink highlights, walked over with a sigh. "Nora, calm down." He said. The redhead stopped mid-sentence. "I'm sorry, was she bothering you?"

"No, it's alright." Yu said.

"You always ask that when we meet new people." The girl complained.

"You should at least introduce yourself." The boy admonished. "Let them talk too."

The girl sighed. "I'm Nora!" She said, her exuberance suddenly back. "This is my friend Ren!" Ren rolled his eyes and gave a small wave.

"Yu, nice to meet you." Yu said, holding out his hand for Ren to shake. Nora cut in and shook his hand violently. Ren covered his face with his hand in a mix of embarrassment and disappointment.

"I'm Yosuke." Yosuke said. Nora grabbed his hand and went to work. It felt like she was going to dislocate his shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Rise." Rise said with a small wave. She had learned her lesson from watching Yu and Yosuke and was not about to offer her hand to the terrifying Nora. She should have.

"Nice to meet you." Nora was upon her in an instant, hugging her far too tightly. Nora finally released her vice-grip. "You smell nice."

"Thank you?" Rise said.

At this point, Naoto was afraid to introduce herself, lest she too be set upon by the insane Nora. "I-I'm Naoto." She said, bracing herself. Seeing her discomfort, Ren deftly cut between her and Nora and shook Naoto's hand. Naoto could not have been more relieved.

"Nice to meet you all." Ren said in a soft and monotone voice. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah, we just enrolled." Yu replied. "Can you point us toward the dorms?"

"Which one?" Ren asked. Yu handed him the paper with the address on it. "That's down the hall from ours." He said. Nora looked like she would burst from joy. "It's right over there." Ren said as he pointed. "I hope you enjoy your time here."

"See you later!" Nora shouted. Of all the weird things YYRN had run into in their brief time on Remnant, Nora was somehow the strangest.

YYRN headed for their dorm to get settled in. They found the door unlocked, which was good given that they did not have keys. It was a fairly small room with four beds, a stack of clothes, books and papers on each. Some chairs and small desks completed the décor.

"We're all sharing the same room?" Naoto asked with a sense of dread.

"It certainly looks that way." Yu confirmed.

"It won't be so bad." Rise tried to encourage Naoto. "Then again, I'm not exactly thrilled about sharing a room with him. She said as she pointed at Yosuke.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yosuke asked. "What's wrong with me?"

"I haven't forgotten the hot springs." Rise answered.

"Yosuke, you'd better behave." Yu warned. "I won't protect you from their wrath." Yosuke got the point.

Yu went to work unpacking the bundle that had been left on his bed. It contained a few uniforms, some books, a class schedule, locker assignments and a Scroll that looked like a smartphone. "Looks like we've got everything we need here." Yosuke said. "I'd rather not wear the uniform though. I guess we don't have a choice."

"I think the uniform's kind of cute." Rise said, holding one up in front of her. Naoto groaned. "What's wrong?" Rise asked.

"I-I don't think I'm comfortable with…this." Naoto said as she looked at the uniform. "I don't like skirts."

"I'm sure you'll look cute in it." Yosuke said.

Naoto's face turned bright red. "Shut up." Naoto said. "You're only making it worse."


	3. Breakout

Chapter 3

"Come on Naoto, they don't serve lunch all day." Yosuke complained. Naoto had gone into the closet to change into her uniform but had not come out.

"I'm not hungry." Naoto said through the door.

"You're going to have to come out sometime." Yu said. "I know you're embarrassed but I'm sure you'll be fine. We've got afternoon classes too. We can't miss them on our first day." There was no response.

"I'm coming in." Rise announced. She pushed through the door and it slammed shut behind her. "What are you worried about?" She asked, her voice carrying through into the room. "You look great. Let's go." There was a commotion and Naoto tried to talk her way out of it. Rise was eventually able to shove her out into the room.

Naoto's face was bright red. With one hand she tugged on her skirt as if that would make it longer. With the other she pulled her hat down over her face. "Why does it have to be so short?" She asked of no one in particular.

"Now that we've solved that, let's go eat." Rise said.

"Do we have to?" Naoto groaned. "It's bad enough that you guys have to see me dressed like this."

"There are only two other students who even know who you are." Yu assured her. "I don't think anyone will pay any attention to us."

* * *

"Hello there." Sho said as he walked into the warehouse. The three who had pulled the man out of the train the day before stared at him in shock. "Nice operation you've got here, criminal I assume. How'd you end up with so much dust? It must have been a steal." He laughed hysterically.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" The woman who appeared to be the leader asked. Flame shot from her eyes and hands. The other woman drew twin blades while the man took up a fighting stance.

"Calm down, I'm on your side." Sho said. "I saw what you did to your pal back in the city. You plan must have gone to shit for you to have to turn in one of your own. Still, it seems like you're the best crew in town and I'd like to lend my services."

"Why would we trust you?" The fiery woman asked.

"How about I break your buddy out of jail?" Sho offered. "Will that prove my loyalty?"

"Don't you think we'd do it ourselves if it was possible?" The green haired girl said. "It's a maximum security military facility. It would be suicide."

"Suicide huh?" The man said. "I'd encourage our guest to go for it then."

"You don't know who you're dealing with." Sho warned. The fiery woman, with the other two just behind her, stared at him threateningly. "I'll show you." With that he disappeared. Suddenly he was between the man and the green haired woman, his blades held out to their throats. "No prison could hold me or anyone I want out." The two pushed his blades away simultaneously. The woman punched at him while the man went for a kick. He disappeared again, leaving them to hit each other. This time he reappeared behind the fiery woman with the gun portion of his weapons pointed at her head. "I'm not above a hostile takeover but I'd prefer to work with you." He said.

"I think we can find a place for you." The fiery woman said casually, seemingly unconcerned by the guns pointed at her skull. "Free Roman if you can and then we'll talk."

* * *

YYRN got their food and went to look for a place in the dining hall where they could sit. It was an impressive place and the selection of food was amazing. It was crowded and a bit loud but that was to be expected.

"Hey!" Nora shouted from across the room, waving frantically at YYRN. "Sit here with us!" Sitting beside her, Ren sighed heavily.

"No one will pay attention to us huh?" Naoto said with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"Well, it would be impolite to not join them." Yosuke said as he started walking over. Rise and Yu followed but Naoto hesitated. Her decision was made for her when Nora rushed over, grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the table. It was all Naoto could do to just avoid dropping her tray. YYRN sat down next to Nora and her team.

"I'm so sorry." Ren said. "She's a little excitable."

"No problem." Yu said. "It's nice to see a friendly face."

"So these are the new students you met this morning?" The blond boy sitting with them asked. "I'm Jaune, leader of Team JNPR. This is Pyrrha, the fourth member of our team."

"Hello." Pyrrha said cheerfully with a polite wave.

Four girls sat across from Team JNPR, displaying varying degrees of amusement at the turn of events. "Sorry, I'm being impolite." Ren said. "This is Team RWBY." He introduced the girls. "Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang." He pointed to each in turn.

"We're Team YYRN." Yosuke said. "I'm Yosuke, this is our leader Yu, Rise and Naoto." Naoto looked like she would die of embarrassment. "She doesn't like skirts." Yosuke explained.

"You look fine." Ruby said, trying to make Naoto more at ease. It appeared to have the opposite effect.

"Better than fine if you ask me." Yang added suggestively. Blake elbowed her in the stomach.

"I hate everything." Naoto sighed.

"So, where are you guys from?" Ruby asked, changing the subject in hopes of giving Naoto a break. Again, it only seemed to make YYRN more agitated.

"It's complicated." Rise said. "I think it's best if we just leave it at not from around here."

"What are you from another planet or something?" Jaune laughed.

"Yes actually." Yu deadpanned. After a moment of silence RWBY and JNPR burst out laughing.

* * *

"I wonder…" Adachi thought aloud. He walked up to the TV. It was not a TV exactly, more of a holographic projection, but he was still curious. The news anchor went on and on about the previous day's Grimm attack and the measures being taken in response. It was all terribly boring to Adachi. He took one last look around to make sure he was alone. Then he went for it. He pressed his hand into the display. It flashed white as he sunk through up to the elbow. "I think I'm going to enjoy it here." He laughed.

* * *

Teams RWBY and JNPR offered to give YYRN a tour of Vale. Yu decided it would be a good idea to go along. Getting the lay of the land would help in their search for Sho and Adachi after all. It should be fun too. They walked through the city streets as their hosts pointed out interesting landmarks. Ruby seemed to have an obsession with weapon shops and Nora had to be dragged away from her favorite pancake place.

"I'm just happy to be out of that skirt." Naoto said as they walked along. Back in her normal clothes she looked a lot more comfortable. "I wish I could wear the men's uniform. It looks very classy."

"The tie sucks." Yosuke said. "Aside from that it's alright."

"I still don't understand why you don't like the girls' uniform." Rise said. "It looks so cute on you."

"Please stop." Naoto begged.

"I just need to stop in here for a minute." Blake announced as she walked toward a bookstore across the street.

"She's probably buying the new _Ninjas of Love_." Yang said once Blake was out of earshot.

" _Ninjas of Love?_ " Yosuke said.

"It's smut." Weiss said. "Blake thinks we don't know about her reading it. From how hard she tries to hide it, I'd say she's embarrassed."

"Hey, wait here a moment, I need to get something." Yu said. He ducked into a store without further explanation. A few minutes later he emerged empty-handed.

"They didn't have what you were looking for?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I'm just having it delivered to Beacon." Yu replied.

"What did you get?" Nora asked excitedly. "Is it a present? Who for?"

"It's just something I need to make the place feel a bit more like home." Yu answered. "You'll see when we get it." Nora looked disappointed for a moment but soon her attention was diverted by something else. Blake soon returned carrying a bag.

"What's in the bag?" Yang asked. "Anything good?"

"Just a book on the history of The War." Blake replied.

"That's so boring." Yang said. "I thought you got something more…stimulating." She said with a wink.

"Of-of course not." Blake said, flustered. "Why are we just standing here? Let's get going. We're wasting time."

* * *

Sho casually approached the prison, examining its exterior security. There were guard towers at regular intervals around the perimeter but nothing else in view. It was very dark, cloud cover blocking the moonlight. He silently approached one of the towers. This would be easy. He leapt up to the top, landing on the roof with a thud. He dropped down onto the observation deck and came face-to-face with a confused and terrified guard. Sho was prepared to slice him in two, but the guard stumbled backward, tripped and hit his head, knocking himself unconscious.

"Have a nice trip." Sho laughed. He grabbed the keycard off the guard's belt and jumped down into the prison yard. He teleported to the door that led to the cellblock. He swiped the guard's key over the keypad and the door lock clicked open. He opened the door to find himself in what appeared to be the main guard post.

A single guard sat before a bank of monitors. "Isn't it a little early for your break?" The guard asked without looking up. Sho walked up behind him. The guard turned around and yelped in fear as Sho grabbed him by the head, slamming his face into the monitors. The guard fell flat on his back. He was unconscious or dead, Sho did not really care.

In front of where the guard had been sitting was a series of buttons, one to unlock the door to the cellblock and one for each cell. The cells were helpfully labeled with their occupants' names. He looked down the list. R Torchwick was his man. He slapped the relevant buttons and went in to retrieve Torchwick.

"Now who are you?" Torchwick asked, leaning forward without leaving his cell.

"I'm here to break you out." Sho said. "Now let's get going already."

"If I leave this cell, and alarm will sound." Torchwick informed him. "Every guard in this place will be here in seconds."

"Then we'll have to be quick." Sho growled. He reached into the cell and grabbed Torchwick by the collar before roughly dragging him out. Sure enough, the silence was pierced by the high-pitched screech of the alarm. Torchwick rolled his eyes and took off running for the exit. On his way out he hit all the buttons on the console, releasing all the prisoners. That would keep the guards busy.

Once outside Torchwick raced across the yard. He reached the fence and began climbing. "Amateur." Sho said as he walked up behind him. He wrapped an arm around Torchwick's torso and leapt over the fence. Once they landed Sho dropped him. An airship swept down and hovered in front of them, Mercury and Emerald standing in the open door. "Get on, or do I have to carry you?" Sho said. Torchwick grunted in annoyance and hopped on, immediately followed by Sho. The airship flew low, taking advantage of the terrain to stay hidden as they slipped away into the night.

* * *

Ozpin wanted YYRN tested against the best, but Glynda was not about to throw them to the wolves. It was their first full day of classes and she was not going to put one in the ring against someone like Pyrrha. Someone with a bit less skill would have to do. "Our first match today will be Yu Narukami against Cardin Winchester." Glynda announced to the class. If the new guy could take down Cardin he was at least on par with most of the students. If he could not, well, there was little hope for him.

Glynda explained the rules to Yu as he prepared for the match. He was basically supposed to fight until told to stop. As long as no one forfeited, the match would end when one combatant's aura dipped dangerously low. Yu was confident but nervous. He had plenty of experience in combat, but the style was completely different. He could give a good slash with his sword but he was an amateur and knew it. Being able to wield his Persona's powers would be useful, but the new method would take some getting used to. It did not help that he was fighting alone. He was used to always having a team of complementary fighters. He had fought solo before but it was not his preference.

"Begin." Glynda commanded. The buzzer sounded and the match was underway. Yu stood with his hand on the handle of his blade, waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Cardin looked at him with a smug smile and drew his hammer. Cardin charged. Yu converted his weapon into its rifle form and squeezed off a burst. It mostly missed and the shots that found the mark seemed to have no effect. Yu tried to dodge as Cardin closed in but the hammer found his legs and upended him. Yu was a bit surprised to find himself on his back so suddenly but quickly regained his composure and rolled out of the way as Cardin brought his hammer down at him.

Yu needed to gain some distance. He hoped he had Izanagi-no-Okami's skillset but he had not been able to test it yet. He went for it anyway. Reaching his hand out at Cardin he unleashed a gust of wind. The wind smacked Cardin in the chest and knocked him back. Yu scrambled to his feet as Cardin stumbled and again the fighters faced each other. Cardin charged again. This time Yu converted his weapon to its blade form. He laid down a patch of ice in Cardin's path with a sweep of his hand. Cardin slipped, sliding onto his knees as he approached Yu. Yu slashed at Cardin with his blade but Cardin had the presence of mind to deflect the attack. Cardin countered with a swing of his hammer but Yu was able to jump back and out of range. Yu pointed his arm at Cardin and let loose a bolt of lightning. Cardin writhed and fell to the ground twitching. Yu approached with his blade but the buzzer sounded to end the fight. Yu sheathed his blade and stood aside as Cardin was attended to. He was dazed and in some pain but he would be alright. For his part Yu felt pretty good. He was not even particularly tired, just a bit winded.

Glynda was impressed even if she would not show it. Yu had dispatched Cardin with relative ease. Cardin was by no means an elite fighter, but he was skilled enough to defeat plenty of other students. If the other members of YYRN displayed similar skill, Glynda might be able to train them into proper Hunters.

* * *

"I thought you weren't coming." Torchwick said.

"We weren't." Emerald said. "This lunatic showed up and volunteered. We figured he would free you or get killed in the process."

"It was a win-win really." Mercury added.

"Keep talking." Sho growled. "See how much I take before I slit your throat."

"Man, I like this kid." Torchwick said, slapping Sho on the back. "You have no idea how much I'd love to see you do that, but unfortunately our boss is a bit attached to them. For now we just have to put up with them."

* * *

Team YYRN had a lot of catching up to do. They were months behind the other students and it would take hours of studying to get on track. Yu and Naoto seemed to have no trouble studying for hours at a time but Yosuke and Rise just did not have the attention span. Inside an hour both were asleep. They were awakened by a knock at the door. Yu opened the door to find a deliveryman there with a large box. "Delivery for Yu Narukami." The man said.

"That's me." Yu confirmed.

"Sign here." The deliveryman handed him a clipboard. Yu signed it while the man wheeled a large box into the room. Yu handed the clipboard back as the deliveryman left.

Yu started to close the door but before he could it was pushed open by Nora. Hot on her heels were the rest of JNPR and RWBY. "What'd you get?" Nora asked excitedly.

"You're all going to be very disappointed." Yu said as he ripped the box open. He reached inside and carefully pulled out what he would have called a TV. He hung it on a hook he had prepared earlier and plugged it in.

"I wasn't expecting that." Ruby admitted. "Students here usually don't have the time to do much other than study and train."

"I know, it just makes the place feel a bit more like home." Yu lied. He had it for a very specific reason. If Remnant had an equivalent of the Midnight Channel and the TV world, he wanted to be able to keep track of it. With this he would be able to watch for anyone appearing and have a convenient entrance. He looked at the remote control. It was not like the ones on Earth but the power button was obvious enough. He hit it and the holographic screen flickered on, displaying the news. He was not particularly interested but he needed a moment to figure out how to change the channel.

"Last night there was a daring prison break…" The news anchor started. "All of the prisoners were recaptured except Roman Torchwick, the man responsible for Vale's recent Grimm attack." Yu figured out how to change the channel but before he could Blake snatched the remote and turned up the volume. Team RWBY seemed very interested in the story and very concerned. "…the authorities have released this image of Torchwick and the accomplice that aided in his escape…"

A blurry image filled the screen. Torchwick was with Sho! It was hard to make out the details but the shocking red hair, the twin swords and the outfit were visible enough to figure out who it was. Now Team YYRN was just as interested and concerned. A picture of Torchwick's known associates flashed up next, but everyone was too stunned to pay attention.

"Do you know something about this?" Weiss asked, noticing Team YYRN's alarm.

"The guy with Torchwick, we know him." Yosuke said. "We came to Vale to find him."

"He's a dangerous criminal." Naoto said. "He tried to kill us and destroy our home town."

"We've been trying to stop Torchwick for some time now." Yang said. "He's up to something, but we haven't been able to figure out what. We thought it might be the Grimm attack, but now we don't know. If someone's breaking him out there must be more going on."

"Our enemies are working together." Rise sighed. "This can't be good."

"It's not so bad." Ruby assured them. "We'll just have to work together to stop them."


	4. Teamwork

Chapter 4

"Make yourself at home." Torchwick said, leading Sho into his hideout. "I just need to take care of something." He walked off into another room, leaving Sho behind.

Sho looked around. This hideout was very rundown. It was not at all like the professional, large-scale operation Torchwick's associates were running. It was more like an apartment than a warehouse, and not a good one at that. There was a busted TV, a map on the wall with some plans scribbled on it and two beat up couches. On one sat a short woman with pink and brown hair. She smiled at Sho but said nothing. He walked over and sat on the couch across from her.

"Who the hell are you?" Sho asked. She remained silent. She just held onto a fancy umbrella and stared at him. "You expecting rain or something?" She still just stared. Then she blinked and her eyes changed color. "What the fuck?!" She tilted her head and her smile changed ever so slightly. She seemed amused by his discomfort.

Torchwick walked back into the room. "Alright, let's get down to business." He said.

"Who the hell is she?" Sho asked.

"That would be my associate Neo." Torchwick replied.

"As far as conversation goes, she comes up short." Sho laughed hysterically. Neo's smile changed again. Sho found it vaguely threatening. "Oh lighten up."

"Your jokes are bad and you need to stop." Torchwick advised.

"Or what?" Sho challenged him. "Your boss and I are pals now, you can't touch me."

"I wouldn't, but she will." Torchwick said. "When I call her the most murderously deranged girl I know, I'm not joking around." He paused for a moment before turning to Neo. "I mean that as a compliment of course." Neo's smile shifted to one of pride and contentment.

* * *

"What do we do now?" Yang asked. "I thought the whole thing with Torchwick was over with him in jail. Now he's back on the loose and we're back to square one."

"It doesn't add up." Weiss said. "None of it adds up. Why would he need all that dust and the White Fang just to let some Grimm into the city? He could have done that alone. And who was that guy who broke him out of prison? We've never even seen him before."

"Team YYRN seem to know him, but they seemed just as surprised as us." Ruby said. "Maybe he's new here and just teaming up with Torchwick."

"What if there's more to this?" Blake asked. "What if Torchwick, the new guy and the White Fang are all working for someone else? What if the attack was only part of their plan?"

"But we stopped the attack." Yang said. "The plan failed."

"I can't help but feel like there's something we're missing." Blake said, frustrated. "They've always been one step ahead of us but now I feel like it's a mile."

"What could they be after?" Weiss asked. "What's the endgame? So they steal dust and let Grimm into the city. What does that accomplish? All it did was put everyone on alert. There are more soldiers and police in the city than ever before."

"What if that's the plan?" Ruby surmised. "What if that's what they want?"

"That doesn't make any sense." Weiss said. "If you're a criminal the last thing you want is more law enforcement."

"Worrying about it isn't going to get us anywhere." Yang sighed. "We'll just have to wait for them to make a move, then we'll stop them. We'll keep looking for clues and asking around. Who knows? We might get lucky. Right now though, we need to rest. We've all been through a lot in the last few days and we need to be in peak condition."

* * *

In the middle of the night Adachi's Scroll beeped, waking him. He slid it to his ear. "Hello?"

"It's time." The caller said. He recognized the voice as the Faunus from the White Fang that he had met with Cal.

"That was quick." Adachi yawned. "Couldn't you have called during the day?"

"I've sent a list of names to your Scroll." The Faunus continued, ignoring him. "These individuals need to be dealt with."

"Dealt with how?" Adachi asked. He figured he knew what the Faunus meant, but did not want to risk a miscommunication that could ruin his plans.

"They are problems." The Faunus said. "Solve them. I don't care how."

"I'll make your problems disappear." Adachi assured him. This was going to be easier than he thought.

* * *

"I sent him the list." The ram Faunus said.

"Good." Adam Taurus smiled. "As a human he should have no trouble getting close to them."

"Are you sure you only want him to go after Torchwick's associate and not the man himself?" The ram Faunus asked. "Torchwick got a lot of our people killed. He needs to pay."

"He will." Adam assured him. "But right now he's too useful. The disappearance of his partner should send the message I want to convey. Failure will not be tolerated."

"I just hope Adachi can pull it off." The ram Faunus added. "We can't even trust him."

"Whether he succeeds or fails is unimportant." Adam said. "If he eliminates our enemies, great. If he fails, he's expendable. We'll get them eventually."

"There was one other name I noticed wasn't on the list." The ram Faunus said. "Blake Belladonna. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she was one of those who interfered in Torchwick's operation. All the others are listed, why not her?"

"Just leave her to me." Adam said with a smile. "I have big plans for her."

* * *

Another day, another practice match. This time it was Rise against Jaune. Glynda was still concerned about putting the newcomers in the ring with top fighters so she decided to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Jaune was improving all the time, but he was still well below most other students. Rise seemed very unsure of herself and during the Grimm attack had served as support rather than fighting on her own, so Glynda could only assume that she was weaker.

The buzzer sounded to start the match. Rise leveled her weapon at Jaune and unleashed a brilliant beam of energy at him. Jaune raised his shield, blocking the incoming attack, and advanced slowly toward her. Rise tried to adjust her aim around the shield but Jaune was always able to adjust himself. Soon they were in melee range. Jaune lunged forward, pushing Rise's weapon to the side but also unbalancing himself. Rise swung the weapon around and struck Jaune in the back, knocking him to the ground. She swung it overhand and slammed it down but Jaune rolled out of the way and to his feet.

Rise converted her weapon into its spear form and faced Jaune. He charged again, deflecting her spear thrust, this time without overextending. He swung his sword at Rise's head but she ducked. Jaune slashed down at her but she easily sidestepped the attack. He jabbed his sword straight ahead but she jumped back. Jaune realized that there was something off about Rise's motions. She was moving to avoid his attacks before he made them. Could she be reading his thoughts? He would just have to attack without thinking.

Jaune hacked at Rise in a wild flurry of strikes. He had much more success, his sword glancing off her aura repeatedly as she struggled to counter. She finally managed to push Jaune back and forced him to back off with her spear. She raised her hand into the air and brought it down into a fist at her side. She was briefly engulfed in a pillar of light and she continued to glow after it faded. The spectacle concerned Jaune but he was winning. He had to press the advantage. He unleashed another series of wild swings but Rise seemed quicker this time, deftly avoiding each attack.

Then Rise punched Jaune straight in the face. It was far harder than he had expected, as if she were now imbued with extraordinary strength. Jaune staggered back dazed, his vision blurry. He regained his balance and squinted to clear his vision. He immediately knew he was in trouble. Rise stood in front of him, the butt end of her spear braced between the ground and her foot, the tip pointed straight at Jaune's chest. He finger was wrapped around something on the spear's shaft. A trigger? With a loud bang the end of the spear extended out into Jaune's chest plate with tremendous force, sending him sailing through the air. He landed flat on his back with a thud. The buzzer sounded to end the match. Jaune groggily gazed up at the scoreboard and sure enough his aura was gone. He was surprised to see that he had been close to victory though.

Rise walked over to Jaune and offered a hand to help him up. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Declining her help Jaune stumbled to his feet. "I'm alright." He said. Feeling dizzy he almost fell over before catching himself. "I'm used to it."

* * *

"Haven't heard from you in a while." Adachi said, leaning against the wall outside the weapons shop. Somehow Sho had not noticed him as he approached. "I knew you wouldn't leave well enough alone."

"I'm not here to waste my time with that." Sho said. "I've been busy, found some new associates. I need dust from the shop next-door."

"I know about your new friends." Adachi said. "I saw you on the news. That was a risky move, breaking a notorious criminal out of prison like that. I'm surprised you're able to walk the streets without people recognizing you."

"As you can see I've changed my appearance." Sho said. He had indeed. His wild red hair was neatly combed, his loose and unkempt clothing had been replaced by a neat if ill-fitting suit. Makeup made the scar on his face much less prominent. "I'm a businessman now, not legitimate, but still. I've grown up, just like you said I should."

"Sure looks that way." Adachi said, feigning approval. "I know we're not the best of pals, but I'd like to meet your new associates. I've made some friends of my own and they're very interested in working together. We'll both be rich and powerful when it all comes together."

That was something Sho could not say no to. "Fine, I'll meet you here tomorrow at the same time." Sho said. "Then I'll take you to meet them."

"I'll be here." Adachi said. Sho walked into the dust shop and Adachi headed off on his way with a smile on his face. That had been much easier than anticipated.

* * *

"We've got tomorrow off, why don't we head into town to have some fun?" Yang suggested. "You're all still pretty new here, you should get a chance to experience some of the good things about Vale. Except for our quick tour you've only really seen the Grimm attack and crime on the news."

"We were actually planning to go into Vale to do some investigating." Naoto said. "The sooner we track down our adversaries, the better."

"Why not do both?" Ruby said. "We can ask around while we're having a good time."

"Can we come too?!" Nora asked excitedly as she raced up to the group. "I want to have fun! We can help investigate too I guess."

Team RWBY looked reluctant and Ren, rushing after Nora, frantically shook his head and waved his arms as if to say no. "Okay." Yu agreed. "The more the merrier." Ren buried his face in his hands and Nora literally jumped for joy.

* * *

Adachi sat on the edge of the bed. His room, a spare room in Cal's house, was sparsely furnished. There was the bed, a single table with a lamp on it, and a closet to hang his clothes. The surroundings only made him feel more like an addict. He had been reading about some potential uses for dust and came across an interesting one. Apparently, injecting dust into the bloodstream could increase one's powers. There were serious side-effects and it was a major taboo, but he was not the type to dwell on that. If there was an advantage to be had, he was going to take it.

He filled a syringe with liquefied dust. Squirting a little out to make sure there were no air bubbles, the viscous concoction oozed down the side of the needle. He tied a belt around his bicep and found a suitable blood vessel. That first aid training the came with being a cop was finally coming in handy. He jabbed the needle in and squeezed the dust into his bloodstream. At first it just burned. It hurt like hell. The sensation slowly faded, replaced by a general tingling all over his body. His heart raced then returned to normal.

He stood. He could feel the power flowing through him. But how to test it? He unscrewed the lightbulb from his lap, leaving the room in darkness. Taking it in his hand he concentrated and lit it with his powers. It grew brighter and brighter until it exploded sending shattered glass flying in all directions. It was so easy now. If he actually put effort into it who knows what he could do? It seemed things were getting better all the time.

* * *

"It's raining now." Yosuke said with trepidation. "Do you think…?"

"It's almost midnight." Naoto said. "We'll find out soon enough." YYRN sat quietly in their dorm room, staring at the holographic screen. Just to be sure, Yu unplugged it. The alarm on Yu's scroll beeped, indicating it was midnight. The screen flickered to life. It was almost all static but there was something – someone – else. The figure was clearly human but the image was too unclear to make out any details. After a few moments, it faded to darkness.

"Holy shit dude." Yosuke said shaking his head. "I really didn't think it would happen. I really didn't."

"Oh I was afraid of this." Rise sighed. "I thought we were done with the Midnight Channel. I never wanted to see it again."

"This is quite alarming." Naoto added. "If the pattern is the same as we encountered in Inaba, someone is about to be kidnapped and thrown into the television. Unfortunately, we have no idea who."

"I think we can pretty safely guess who'll do the throwing though." Yosuke said. "Sho and Adachi have to be behind this."

"We'll find out what we can tomorrow." Yu said. "If we're lucky, we can stop them before they hurt anyone."

* * *

"An associate of mine wants to meet you." Sho said to Torchwick who was scribbling away on a piece of paper. "He wants to join us."

"Is he as talented as you?" Torchwick asked without looking up.

"Hell no." Sho admitted. "He's a real asshole too."

"What a ringing endorsement." Torchwick grumbled.

"But the son-of-a-bitch is clever." Sho admitted. "And he's a cold-blooded killer."

Now he had Torchwick's attention. "Interesting." Torchwick said. "Neo, what do you say we add another violent psychopath to our little operation?" Neo smiled, this time in agreement. "Fine then." Torchwick added.

"I'll bring him here tomorrow." Sho said.

"I've got something to take care of so I might be late." Torchwick said. "If he doesn't mind waiting until I get here it's fine." Sho hated the idea of working with Adachi but had to admit that the man was useful.

* * *

"So how are we going to do this?" Rise asked. "We shouldn't all go to the same place after all."

"I can use my family's business connections to see if there have been any recent dust thefts." Weiss suggested. "It should at least tell us if they're still operating in Vale."

"I'll go with her." Yosuke said. "My father's a businessman so I should be perfect for the task."

"It's really a one person job." Weiss said.

"Bring him just in case." Ruby said. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"I'll go t…" Jaune started.

"Why don't Jaune and Pyrrha ask around the school?" Nora cut him off. "Someone here might know something."

Pyrrha was happy Nora made the suggestion but a bit embarrassed all the same. "That sounds good." She said. Jaune looked a bit disappointed but nodded in agreement.

"I'll go with Blake, wherever that happens to be." Naoto offered.

Blake had not known Naoto for long but she always seemed shy and reserved. This was out-of-character. That made Blake intrigued enough to agree. "There are some people I could ask." Blake said. "If you want to come along, that's fine."

"I'll go ask around at Junior's club." Yang said.

"A club, I want to go!" Nora exclaimed. "Ren will come too!"

"It's not really…" Yang started.

"I can't wait!" Nora shouted. "It'll be so fun!" Yang knew there was no point in arguing.

"A club huh?" Rise said. "I'll check it out with you." Yang had hoped to go alone. Neptune had only embarrassed her when he tagged along the last time. She did not want a repeat.

"Well, I guess that just leaves the two of us." Ruby said to Yu. "I'm not really sure where to go, but we could just ask around town."

"Sounds good." Yu agreed. "I've been pretty successful with that technique."

"Have you guys done a lot of investigating before?" Pyrrha asked.

"You could say that." Yosuke replied. "We solved a serial kidnapping and murder case once. In fact, one of the guys we're chasing was the culprit. Not the guy you saw on the news though."

"The two you're looking for, do you think they're working together?" Blake asked.

"The last time was saw them the one from the news was trying to kill the other." Yu said. "That said, anything's possible. Right now we just need to find out as much as we can."

"Then when we're done, we'll all meet up to do something fun." Ruby said. "Today will be great!"


	5. Hit Hard

Chapter 5

"So what business is your family in?" Yosuke asked as Weiss tapped away at a computer, looking through the reports she acquired from the Schnee Dust Company.

"Are you serious?" Weiss snapped back.

"I'm not from around here." Yosuke said. "Assume I've been living in a cave for the last few years."

"If you were living in a cave you'd still know." Weiss said. "I'm the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Yosuke gave a blank look. "We mine and refine the dust that powers just about everything."

"That must be a lot of pressure." Yosuke said. "My father runs a department store and it wears us both out." He paused. "You're pretty cool you know."

"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked. She was getting tired of the interruption.

"Well, you're clearly a great fighter." Yosuke said. "You're the heiress of a huge company, but you're still working to make the world a better place. You have great fashion sense and you're absolutely beautiful."

"Well, thank you." Weiss said. She was not used to getting that sort of string of compliments. "Wait. Are you hitting one me?"

"Oh you caught me." Yosuke said. "So, want to do something later? Dinner maybe?"

"Keep dreaming." Weiss shot him down. "You remind me way too much of Jaune." Yosuke was discouraged, but like Jaune, undeterred. He would just have to try again later.

* * *

"I don't think anyone at Beacon has the information we're looking for." Pyrrha sighed.

"No one will even talk to me." Jaune said. "It's like I'm invisible. Or maybe contagious."

"People weren't exactly lining up to talk to me either." Pyrrha admitted. "It's like they're intimidated."

"Well, you are pretty cool." Jaune said. "And famous. I still don't understand why that keeps people away though. I would have figured it would draw people to you."

"Yeah, you'd think." Pyrrha frowned. "Maybe it would be better if I was just a normal girl. Without the fighting and the attention, maybe I could have normal friends and normal relationships."

"Stop it." Jaune said. "You're beautiful, smart and talented. You should embrace it. Without all that, you just wouldn't be you. You're perfect just the way you are."

"Jaune…" Pyrrha blushed. "I don't…"

"It'll work out for you one day." Jaune said. "I'm sure of it."

"Oh, yeah, I guess." Pyrrha said, disappointed. She wished he had stopped two sentences earlier. For a moment she thought he might feel the same way about her that she felt about him. "Well, let's go meet up with the others. Hopefully they found something."

* * *

After asking around all morning, Blake took Naoto to a café to talk over what they had found. "Your contacts had a surprising degree of knowledge about Adachi, but I don't think it will help much." Naoto sighed and took a sip of her tea. "Without a location, all we can do is wait for him to make a move."

"Are you sure we need to be worried about him?" Blake asked. "He saved a Faunus family. He chased off bullies that were picking on a Faunus. He sounds like a pretty good guy to me."

"I'll admit, it does sound like he's doing good things." Naoto said. "But Adachi's a murderer and a stone-cold psychopath. When Adachi does something, it's solely for his benefit. He could have been doing those things just to feel powerful. I suspect gaining the admiration of those involved was also a factor."

"So you think he's playing hero because it's fun?" Blake asked. "How do you know he hasn't changed? People can change."

"Not psychopaths." Naoto said, looking Blake straight in the eyes. "Don't ever let them fool you. They have a charm about them that can make you want to like them, want to believe them, but it's an act. They live only for themselves." She pushed her tea aside and leaned toward Blake. "I know helping the Faunus makes you want to like him." She whispered. "You can't let your species blind you to reality."

"My species?" Blake asked uneasily. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh come one now, I know you're a Faunus." Naoto said. "There's no point hiding it. I don't hold any prejudice."

"But how?" Blake asked.

"I'm a detective." Naoto replied. "First off, in class when the Faunus or White Fang are mentioned, your demeanor changes. You adjust your bow and look nervous. I'd guess your bow hides a set of ears. It was enough to make me suspicious. Today only confirmed it. Every person we talked to was a Faunus, and they all trusted you without reservation. As a minority frequently oppressed by humans, they would not be so open with a human."

"Please don't tell anyone." Blake said. "My friends know, but it would be better if it remained a secret with everyone else."

"I won't." Naoto promised. "I warn you, Yu is at least as smart as I am, so he'll probably figure it out on his own. You might want to cut this one off before it becomes an issue. Besides, hiding who you are isn't healthy."

"You don't understand." Blake said. "The way Faunus are treated, it's better if people think I'm human."

"As someone who hid herself in the face of prejudice, trust me." Naoto said. "It will only cause problems. At some point, you're going to have to accept who you are and be open about it. It will be difficult and perhaps even painful, but it's necessary."

Blake just stared at Naoto, feeling a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Naoto meant well but it was none of her business and there was no way she could understand. Blake wanted to run away, but what would that accomplish?

"I thought I'd find you here." Sun said, walking up behind Blake. She was startled by his sudden appearance. "Who's your friend?"

"Naoto Shirogane." Naoto introduced herself.

"I'm Sun Wukong." Sun said. "What are you two up to?"

"I was just leaving." Blake said. "I have…some things to think about." She stormed off without another word.

"Was it something I said?" Sun asked.

"No, it was something I said." Naoto replied. "How do you know Blake?"

"I guess you could say I'm her boyfriend." Sun said. "Well, maybe, she's a hard one to read."

"Not so hard if you know what to look for." Naoto said cryptically. "In any case, I should be going as well. I've got business of my own to attend to. It was nice meeting you." She extended a hand to shake Sun's. "One thing before I go. Do you know anything about a man named Adachi? Tall, thin, black hair."

"He's the guy who's been helping the Faunus around here." Sun said. "I heard a rumor he had a meeting with someone from the White Fang."

"The White Fang…" Naoto trailed off. "Thank you, that's quite helpful." She walked off, lost in thought. If Adachi met with the White Fang, he was definitely up to something. That aside, Naoto was worried about Blake. She wanted to help, but Blake was clearly not interested in being helped. Naoto just hoped Blake would work things out before it was too late.

* * *

Yang walked into Junior's club, not sure what kind of reception she would receive. She hoping to not have to fight, but she was ready. The doors slid open to reveal a busy club as loud music assaulted her ears. It was open. Nora rushed in, dragging Ren along with her. "This place is…too loud." Ren sighed. Rise followed with a smile on her face as Yang stood in the doorway. This was not at all what she had been expecting. Yang walked over to the bar, looking for Junior.

"Blondie, I'll be with you in a minute." Junior called from the other end of the bar as he handed drinks to a pair of patrons. That taken care of he turned his attention to Yang. "So what brings you here? Please don't blow the place up again, I just got everything back the way I like it."

"I need information." Yang replied. "Unless you want this party to end with a bang, you'll cooperate. Oh, and make sure my friends have a good time."

"Alright." Junior sighed. He was not exactly a legitimate businessman, and he knew a shakedown when he saw one. "Do you mind if we talk in my office? I don't want to alarm the patrons."

"Sure, lead on." Yang said.

Junior called over one of his men. "Make sure her friend have a good time." He ordered.

"What do you mean?" The henchman asked.

"I mean, make sure they have a good time so she doesn't blow up my club again!" Junior shouted. "If you morons weren't so incompetent I wouldn't have to deal with this."

Junior led Yang to a small room with a desk and a single chair. Junior walked behind the desk and sat in the chair, leaving Yang standing at the door. Yang shrugged and sat on the desk as Junior rolled his eyes. "So, I'm looking for information about two men." Yang said. "Sho Minazuki and Tohru Adachi."

"I've never heard of Adachi." Junior shrugged. "Minazuki, isn't that the kid the broke Torchwick out of prison?"

"He is." Yang confirmed. "Know anything about him?"

"I know he's working with Torchwick." Junior replied. "I try to keep well informed when it comes to him. I should never have worked with him in the first place. What a waste of time, money and people."

"Stay on topic." Yang said. "Sho Minazuki, what do you know?"

"There really isn't much." Junior said apologetically. "I know he really impressed a lot of people. He's the talk of the underworld. A lot of people want to employ him, but no one knows how to get in touch with him. Aside from breaking Torchwick out, he hasn't really done anything."

"Are you sure?" Yang pushed. "There's nothing you're hiding from me? You know I get angry when you hide things."

"Don't I know it?" Junior shook his head. "Look, I've been focused on getting this place put back together. Between that, the guys I lost to Torchwick's operation, and the Grimm attack, my network of contacts is in shambles."

"Alright, but if I find out you're hiding anything…" Yang threatened.

"I know, I know." Junior cut her off. "You'll be back to wreck the place."

A bit disappointed by the lack of information, Yang left Junior in his office and returned to the club proper. Apparently her friends had taken over in her absence. Rise was up by the DJ, singing something that did not quite go along with the music being played. Nora was dancing wildly, having the time of her life. Ren's dancing was more subdued and subtle, but beautiful and intricate. Yang hated to pull them away while they were having fun, but they still had investigating to do.

* * *

"We asked everybody." Ruby complained. "And we got nothing." She plopped down on a bench and sighed. "I feel bad reporting back to everyone without anything."

"Don't worry about it so much." Yu said, sitting beside her. "This kind of thing happens more than you'd expect."

"But it's so frustrating." Ruby said. "Somebody has to know something."

"Maybe we missed someone." Yu said. "Who knows?"

"Can I take a look at your weapon?" Ruby asked, changing the subject. "I never got a good look at it."

"Sure, here you go." Yu said. He handed his sheathed blade to her. "It's nothing special. I got it right off the shelf."

"It's still pretty cool." Ruby said, transforming the weapon and examining its mechanics. "Where did you get it?"

"I got it…I have an idea!" Yu suddenly shouted. He sprung to his feet, grabbed Ruby by the hand and dragged her down the street.

"Where are we going?" Ruby asked as she gained her footing, fought off Yu's hand, and ran alongside him.

"To the store where I bought it." Yu said. "Sho was there. Maybe he knows something."

The pair rushed to the store and burst through the doors. "Welcome back." The shopkeeper said. "What's the hurry?"

"Remember that red-haired kid that you modified the antique swords for?" Yu asked.

"How can I forget?" The shopkeeper said with a distinct hint of disappointment. "I felt really guilty when I saw him on the news breaking the scumbag out of jail."

"Has he been back?" Yu asked.

"No, I haven't seen him." The shopkeeper said. "If I did, I'd have called the cops, or maybe just shot him myself."

"Oh." Yu said with disappointment. "Well, thanks anyway." The dejected pair exited the shop.

"We may as well buy some dust while we're here." Ruby said, motioning to the dust shop next door. The two entered and grabbed a few boxes of ammunition and took it to the counter. "This is all." Ruby said, sliding the boxes to the clerk. Then she had a thought. "Hey, have you seen a red-haired boy, about our age? He has a big scar on his face."

"Are you talking about the guy from the prison break?" The clerk asked.

"Yeah." Ruby replied.

"No, but a guy who looked kind of like him was here yesterday." The clerk said. "His hair was the same color but it was a different style. I think he had a scar too, but it wasn't as big and prominent. He was dressed way too nicely to be the same guy too."

"Are you sure it wasn't him?" Ruby pressed.

"Well, not 100%." The clerk admitted. "He just didn't seem like that sort of person."

"Did he make any bad jokes?" Yu asked.

"Yes actually." The clerk answered. "He made an absolutely terrible attempt at a pun. He laughed at it but no one else did."

"Thanks, you've been a big help." Yu said. He and Ruby exited the store with renewed excitement. "Now we know he changed his appearance." Yu said. "He purchased dust too. I wonder what it all means."

* * *

"We came up empty." Jaune said. "No one at Beacon could tell us anything useful."

"There are no relevant irregularities in Schnee Dust Company records either." Weiss reported.

"I did find out that Sho is definitely working with Torchwick." Yang said. "Unfortunately, I still don't know what they're up to."

"We found out that Sho changed his appearance, but we still don't know why." Ruby added. "I guess he would have to after having his face shown on the news and all."

"Adachi is the talk of the local Faunus community." Blake said. "Beyond that…"

"He met with the White Fang." Naoto cut in.

"The White Fang?" Blake challenged. "Who…?"

"Sun told me after you left." Naoto explained. "It's only a rumor, but it's all we've got."

"It sounds like they're not working together." Rise said. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

"That's not a conclusion we should jump to." Weiss said. "Torchwick was working with the White Fang too. They could be working different angles of the same operation."

"I don't think Sho's that clever." Yosuke said. "I think he just found the most high-profile criminal in town and joined up with him. The Grimm attack made Torchwick very visible."

"Adachi is that clever though." Yu added. "Adachi may be playing Sho, Torchwick and everyone to his own advantage. Adachi would only help the Faunus if it benefitted him. Maybe he's been doing it intentionally to make contact with the White Fang. With their backing, he could do a lot of damage."

"That still doesn't help us figure out what they're up to." Yang said. "We haven't even figured out the reason for the Grimm attack yet. None of it makes sense."

"It pains me to say it, but I think we have to wait for them to move." Naoto concluded. "We need to get out ahead of them, but we don't know enough yet."

"We can't just sit here and wait!" Blake protested. "Torchwick, the White Fang, they're capable of doing catastrophic harm. If we let them start moving it's already too late. So many people died in the Grimm attack. What if it's just the beginning? How many more people will die because we can't figure it out?"

"We're not the only ones working on this." Ruby assured her. "The police and Ironwood's soldiers are too. In the end we're just students. We have to trust that they'll take care of it."

"But what if they don't?" Blake started. "Are we supposed to just watch the kingdom burn?"

Yang put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "I promise we'll stop them." She said. "But right now there's nothing we can do. The most important thing now is to be ready. When they show themselves that'll be our moment to strike."

* * *

"Hey Sho, nice place you've got here." Adachi said sarcastically as Sho opened the door to the dank apartment that was Torchwick's hideout. Sho was back to his normal appearance, his suit messily tossed across a couch. "I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this is five stars all the way."

"You're lucky Torchwick isn't here." Sho growled, his fists clenched at his sides. "He told me not to kill anyone without his permission."

"Oh lighten up." Adachi said. "So the boss isn't here. That's a shame." He gestured toward the girl sitting on one of the couches. "So, are you going to introduce me?"

"That's Neo." Sho said. "She's not much for conversation."

Neo smiled and stared at Adachi. It was slightly unnerving. "So shorty, is Torchwick your dad or something?" Adachi asked. Neo sat silently, her smile shifting slightly in a way that made Adachi even more uncomfortable. "Are you his girlfriend? What is it?"

"Watch it around her; she'll kill you without hesitation." Sho warned. "Not that I'd mind, but carrying your body out of here sounds like a lot of work."

"She won't be killing me." Adachi laughed. "I'm here to kill her."

"You're joking." Sho said. "And you say I have a terrible sense of humor."

"Oh, it's no joke." Adachi said. He reached into his suit and retrieved his revolver. "It's nothing personal. It's a shame I can't get to know you a little. You seem like my kind of girl. Unfortunately I've got orders and the people I'm working with expect results." Neo leapt to her feet as Adachi leveled his gun. He fired three shots, each of which Neo blocked with her umbrella. "Oh please." He sighed. "It'll be a lot less painful if you don't resist."

"Adachi stop." Sho said. It was too late already. Neo's smile changed again. She was thinking about how she would kill Adachi, how she would make him suffer.

Adachi fired another shot and this time Neo shattered like glass. "What the?" Adachi said. Neo appeared behind him and kicked him in the back. He stumbled forward, flipped over one of the couches and landed on the floor. Neo drew a blade out of her umbrella and jumped after him, slamming the blade down just as Adachi rolled out of the way and to his feet. Neo stood with her blade at the ready and stabbed at Adachi.

Adachi simply stretched out his arm as Neo charged. A bolt of lightning shot from his hand and struck her. Neo writhed and fell to the ground, her face twisted in pain, the look of a scream without the sound. "That's enough Adachi." Sho said, stepping between the combatants.

"I'll kill you too if I have to." Adachi raged. He blasted Sho with electricity, but Sho used one of his swords to channel the charge away. To Sho's surprise, Adachi rushed at him with inhuman speed. He grabbed Sho by the collar and swung him around, throwing him into the broken TV. The screen flashed white as Sho flew through the screen and into another universe. "Idiot." Adachi grunted. "We could have worked together." He turned his attention back to Neo. She stared at him from her knees, a look of rage and fear in her eyes. "Not going to beg huh?" Adachi punched her in the face with super-human strength and she tumbled across the room, slamming into a wall hard enough the crash through the wood and sheetrock. Adachi followed her through the breach into the apartment's kitchen. Her face was bloody and her clothes were torn. For Adachi, it was a turn-on. She dragged herself over to a cabinet and used it to pull herself into a sitting position. "You see, if you just let me kill you, you wouldn't have had to suffer through all this." He pressed his revolver to her forehead. "Instead, you had to be a bitch and resist." Neo blinked and the color of her eyes changed. Adachi pulled the trigger and Neo shattered like glass. "Damn it! Of course!"

Adachi searched the apartment but Neo was nowhere to be found. The White Fang would not be happy about her escape. Still, Adachi was confident. He may not have gotten rid of Neo, but he had taken care of another of Torchwick's associates. He hoped the White Fang would accept the consolation prize. It was not a total loss either. There was a lot of dust to steal from the apartment. Adachi would need all he could get if he was going to stay strong. He could already feel the last injection beginning to wear off.


	6. The Leap

Chapter 6

"Naoto said she talked to Sun after you left." Ruby said to Blake. "Why did you leave?"

"She figured out that I'm a Faunus." Blake said. It was difficult to tell if she was disappointed or annoyed. "She told me I should stop hiding it."

"Why would she say that?" Weiss asked. "Does she have any idea what you've been through?"

"She said something about having experience hiding who she was because of prejudice." Blake replied. "She said it wasn't healthy. Being lectured like that, it made me angry."

"Did she tell her teammates?" Yang asked.

"She said she wouldn't." Blake answered. "But she also said at least one of them would figure it out on his own."

"You should probably just tell them then." Ruby suggested. "We're working together anyway. If we hide things from them, how can they trust us?"

"Maybe you're right." Blake sighed. "I don't want them to figure it out and then go telling everyone."

* * *

"Is it raining?" Rise asked as midnight approached.

Yosuke pulled back the curtains and peered out into the darkness. "Not hard, but yeah, it's raining." He reported.

There was a knock at the door. Yu got up and opened it a crack. Blake pushed her way in, a look of nervous determination on her face. "We're kind of in the middle of something." Naoto protested. "Can you come back later?" The rest of Team RWBY followed her in, ignoring the protest.

"This is important, and if I don't do it now, I don't know if I ever will." Blake said. Naoto understood and nodded politely. Yang closed the door and stood in front of it. "I have a confession to make." Blake continued. She untied her bow and it dropped to her shoulders, revealing a set of cat-like ears atop her head. "I'm a Faunus."

"So?" Rise asked. "What does it matter?" Yosuke looked similarly confused, but Yu just had an I-knew-it look to his smile. "Were you worried we'd think less of you?"

"Yes actually." Blake admitted. "Most humans do."

"We're not most humans." Yu assured her. "We're your friends. What you are isn't what matter. It's who you are." Blake was shocked. Even her own team had not taken the news as well.

"Since you let us in on a secret, we'll return the favor." Yosuke said. "We're not from this planet. Not from this universe actually. It's sort of hard to explain, but we won't tell if you won't tell."

"Yes, those men we're chasing aren't from here either." Naoto added. "We came here because we don't want them to cause the same trouble in your world that they caused in ours."

"What kind of trouble?" Ruby asked. The rest of her team stood in stunned silence at the revelation but Ruby seemed unfazed.

The clock struck midnight and the television took on an otherworldly glow. "That kind of trouble." Yu said, pointing to the screen. For emphasis he held up the plug with his other hand, showing the screen was unpowered.

After a few moments of static, the screen resolved, displaying none other than Sho. He seemed to be in some sort of laboratory. Something about Sho was not quite right. Maybe it was the eyes. He seemed different. "I'm so desperately alone." Sho said, his voice more like that of a small child's than normal. "I just wish someone, anyone, care about me." It was clear to YYRN that this was Sho's shadow. This Sho looked straight at the camera. "Will you?" With that, Sho lashed out with one of his blades and the screen flashed back to static before fading to darkness.

"What in the world was that?" Weiss asked. "That Sho guy seems more deranged than I imagined. He's like a little kid throwing a tantrum."

"That wasn't Sho." Yosuke said. "That was his shadow."

"I don't follow." Ruby admitted.

"It's a reflection of his hidden inner self." Naoto explained. "If we don't rescue him, it'll kill him."

"How do we rescue him?" Yang asked.

"We enter the TV world and destroy any shadows that get in our way." Rise replied.

"TV world?" Blake asked incredulously.

"Allow me to demonstrate." Yu said. He walked up to the screen and plunged his hand through it as it flashed white. "Take a look around back." Team RWBY peered behind the screen to see nothing penetrating to the other side. "He's in there. It's another universe."

"How did he get in there?" Ruby asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say Adachi threw him in." Naoto answered. "That's a power he possesses and that's how he murdered his victims."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yang asked. "Let's go save him. He might know something about Torchwick."

"It's not that simple." Rise cautioned. "It's dangerous in there, and we're not really in any shape to fight right now. We spent the whole day investigating. I don't know about you guys, but we're exhausted."

"It's also a bad idea for you guys to go." Yosuke warned. "People who haven't faced their shadows are in grave danger in there. You should leave it to us."

"That's not going to happen." Blake declared. "If there's any chance saving Sho can help us catch Torchwick, we're going."

"Fine, but not until tomorrow after classes." Yu said. "And we all go together."

"We'll see you then." Ruby said. She sounded excited. Team RWBY left YYRN's room and headed back to their own. Yu closed the door behind them.

"Even we can't go in there." Rise said. "Without Teddie we'll have no exit. We'll be trapped just like Sho."

"That's where you're wrong." Yosuke said confidently. "After what happened the last time, Teddie taught all of us living in Inaba how to summon exits. That way, if one of us fell in accidentally like Kanji, we'd be able to get right out without having to search for Teddie's exit. He would have taught you guys too, but you haven't been around."

"Have you tried it?" Naoto asked. "I don't want to get in there and find out you can't do it."

"Of course I've tried it." Yosuke said. "It's easy. I asked Teddie why he never showed us before and he said he never thought about it."

"Well, let's make sure we're ready for tomorrow." Yu said. "I don't know what we'll face or how Team RWBY will react, so we'll need to be extra careful."

* * *

Torchwick unlocked the door and swung it open, exhausted after a meeting with Cinder and her lackeys. It was always hell to talk to them. He looked up to find the apartment ransacked. The furniture was broken, all the drawers were pulled out with their contents scattered, and there was a hole in the wall. Neo sat on a mostly intact couch, looking down. She was covered in blood and her clothes were torn, but what really worried Torchwick was that she was not smiling. She always smiled, even when she was slitting someone's throat.

"Neo, what happened?" Torchwick asked. She did not react. "Did Sho do this?" She shook her head. "Where is he?" She gestured toward the broken screen but gave no other response. If Torchwick did not know better, he would think she had been crying. Torchwick walked over, carefully making his way around the debris that covered the floor, and sat beside her. He put an arm around her. "Who did this?"

* * *

"I've got good news and bad news." Adachi said over the phone. The Faunus on the other end grunted. "The good news is I got rid of Torchwick's pal. The bad news is, it's not the one you're expecting."

"So you failed." The White Fang member charged.

"Look on the bright side." Adachi suggested. "I took out the guy that broke him out of prison. That'll send whatever message you wanted to send just as much as getting rid of Neo would have. He's going to be looking over his shoulder now."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Fine, but don't fail again." The Faunus finally said. "Take care of the others."

"I'm looking forward to it." Adachi said.

* * *

YYRN and RWBY had been hoping for a quiet, restful day as a lead up to their attempt to rescue Sho. They would have no such luck. Glynda scheduled a practice match and it involved a member from each team. Yosuke would face Weiss. Yosuke planned to use the match as an opportunity.

The two combatants met in the center of the amphitheater and waited for the signal to begin. "Let's make a bet." Yosuke suggested. "If I win, you have to go on a date with me."

"You're sick." Weiss snapped back.

"If you win, I won't ask again." Yosuke offered.

It was too good an offer for Weiss to resist. "Fine." Weiss agreed. "But if I make you forfeit, you'll never so much as speak to me again."

"I'd never forfeit, so I'll take it." Yosuke said confidently.

The buzzer sounded to start the match and Weiss immediately charged. She slashed at Yosuke, his aura absorbing the flurry. He countered with a blast of wind that sent Weiss tumbling backward. She rolled to her feet, cycled Myrtenaster, and lanced a line of fire at Yosuke. He fired wind back, fanning the flames and sending a massive fireball at Weiss. She dove out of the way just in time. Yosuke leveled his SMG's at Weiss and fired a sustained but inaccurate burst. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster again and used a glyph to create a wall of ice to block the shots.

Behind the opaque wall of ice, Yosuke could not see what Weiss was up to. When she reappeared around the side, she was sliding across the floor on her glyphs, approaching at high speed. A blast of wind did nothing to slow her down and Yosuke was forced to awkwardly dive out of the way as she closed in. Weiss jumped high into the air as Yosuke scrambled to his feet. At the peak of her leap, Weiss summoned a glyph to launch her into Yosuke with incredible speed. She slammed into him full-force and Yosuke slammed down onto his back, sliding across the floor.

Yosuke was hurting. The last shot had been a good one. He lay there for a moment, trying to regain his composure. Just as he started to sit up, Weiss smashed the pommel of Myrtenaster into his face, knocking him back down. She positioned one of her high-heeled boots over Yosuke's crotch, a devious smile on her face. "Oh God I forfeit!" Yosuke shouted. Weiss stomped down anyway. Yosuke was in too much pain to even scream. He writhed for a moment then lay still as Weiss walked away looking very happy with herself.

Moments later, Yu arrived, kneeling at Yosuke's side. "Are you hurt?" He asked.

"Just my pride." Yosuke groaned. "And my balls."

* * *

"Someone tried to have Neo killed." Torchwick said. Cinder showed a hint of concern but Mercury and Emerald were unmoved. "Some guy named Adachi killed Sho and almost killed her too. He stole every grain of dust I had too. I want to know who he's working for and why he did it."

"He's working for the White Fang." Adam said, walking up behind Torchwick. "Some of them are very angry with your failure. With all the Faunus that died because of your failure, can you blame them? I can't control them all you know. I have made sure that there will not be a repeat, and those that were responsible have been disposed of."

"You filthy animals, I should have known." Torchwick sneered, raising his weapon at Adam.

"Please, we should be working together, not bickering amongst ourselves." Cinder said, stepping between them and pushing Torchwick's weapon down. "Right now there are much more important matters to attend to."

* * *

After classes, Team RWBY joined YYRN in their room. Yu, Rise and Naoto were checking their weapons in anticipation of combat. Yosuke sat on his bed with an ice pack placed strategically between his legs. Ruby shoved Weiss toward him. "They want me to apologize." Weiss sighed. "I'm not going to apologize." The rest of Team RWBY looked on disapprovingly but Weiss was unmoved.

"It's no big deal." Rise said. "I don't know what he did to you, but he probably deserved it."

"Yes, I'm sure what you did showed great restraint all things considered." Naoto agreed.

"You've got my back, right dude?" Yosuke asked Yu. Yu just shrugged and went back to his weapon. Yosuke frowned. "I guess I should apologize. Sorry for hitting on you and asking you out on a date."

"That's all he did?" Ruby asked. Weiss nodded. "Weiss! What's wrong with you?"

"If I crushed the testicles of every guy that hit on me our species would die out." Yang said. "I think you need to calm down a bit."

"I'm still on her side." Rise said.

"As am I." Naoto added.

"Can we please get down to business?" Blake asked. "We need to rescue Sho and find out what he knows about Torchwick and we need to do it as soon as possible."

"Fair enough, into the TV then." Yu said.

"Are you guys sure you want to come?" Rise asked. "I'm warning you, it's super dangerous for anyone new and I'm sure we can handle it on our own."

"We're going and that's final." Blake insisted.

"Yeah, we can't let you guys go into danger alone." Ruby said. "It's our job to help people, and that includes you." She paused for a moment and looked at the screen. "So how do we do this?"

"Just jump in." Yu said. Yosuke tossed the ice pack aside and limped to the screen. Yu helped him dive through as it flashed white.

"Rise's right." Naoto warned. "You shouldn't go." With a look of steely determination, Blake walked up to Yu. Yu helped her up and into the screen, to be followed by the others.

* * *

"So, what's the word?" Adachi asked. He looked bored.

"They think you were working for a rogue element in the White Fang." Adam said. "If they get their hands on you, they'll kill you."

"I think I'd be the one to do the killing." Adachi smirked. "Anyway, it's good that your master plan isn't ruined. That would have sucked."

"Speaking of which, I have a few questions for you." Adam said. "First off, why are you helping us? You're a human, a sworn enemy."

"Humans are real pieces of shit." Adachi laughed. "I'm sure you've noticed. The White Fang though, you guys know what you want, and you take it. No apologies, no excuses, just violent action. It's refreshing. Besides, it's always rewarding to help the little guy. Seeing the Faunus mistreated like they are makes my blood boil."

"Well, when the time comes you may be asked to back up your statements with action." Adam said. "When the Faunus aren't the little guy anymore, when the White Fang is ascendant, will you still be on our side?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Adachi asked. "I already told you how I feel about humanity. I'd kill every last human if I could." He would not say it, but he was just as willing to kill every last Faunus.

Adam knew Adachi could not be trusted. He was a pathological liar. It took one to know one. "Good." Adam said. "Finish taking care of your list, then we'll move on to the next stage." Adam got up to leave.

"Oh, uh, what are we going to do about him?" Adachi asked, pointing to the corpse of the ram Faunus that had been his initial contact within the White Fang. Half the Faunus' head was missing, the result of a gunshot from Adachi.

"Leave him." Adam said. "His death will be quite useful to us." By us Adam meant himself. Adachi was useful, but Adam had already planned his betrayal. He knew Adachi would be thinking along similar lines. It would all be in the timing.

* * *

Ruby staggered to her feet with a groan. "My head hurts." She complained. "Where are we?" Wherever she was, it was very foggy. Nearby the rest of her team were in similar discomfort, struggling to make it to their feet.

"Welcome to the TV world." Yu said. He and his team stood beside Team RWBY. They were seemingly unaffected by whatever was causing Team RWBY pain. "It's disorienting at first, but you'll get used to it." He assured them. He handed Ruby a pair of glasses while his teammates gave pairs to the others. "Put these on, they should help."

Ruby slipped the glasses on. Suddenly the fog was gone. "Wow, these help a lot." Ruby said. They stood in what appeared to be a post-apocalyptic version of Beacon. The buildings were partially collapsed and the ground was marked by large cracks and craters.

"Why does it look like this?" Yang asked.

"This world is a reflection of the unconscious minds of those in it." Naoto explained. "I suspect it took this form because this is the sort of thing we're trying to prevent. Or, perhaps, it represents your fears. The theory that worries me most is that this may represent what our enemies actually intend to do. I cannot say for sure."

"Those are all pretty bleak." Ruby said. "It this world always like this?"

"Not always." Yosuke replied. "Sometimes it's all sunshine and rainbows, but with someone like Adachi or Sho in the mix, the place gets corrupted. I wonder if there's some evil god behind all this."

"An evil god?" Weiss asked.

"We defeated five of them." Rise said. "The two Sagiris, the one in Marie, Izanami and the one Sho was working with."

"You can't be serious." Blake said. "Next you'll tell me you made friends with one of the monsters from this world."

"That would be Teddie." Yosuke said. "He made those glasses. He used to be a shadow, but he grew a human body so he could enter our world."

"Grew a human body?" Yang was way past understanding at this point.

"We don't really get it either." Rise admitted. "It's really best if you just roll with it. Anyway, I located Sho. He's that way." She pointed off into the distance.

"You don't have to understand it." Yu said. "We don't, not really. Just be ready for anything. We've got a fight ahead of us. I'm sure of it."


	7. The Jokers

Chapter 7

"This is the place." Rise confirmed as the group approached what appeared to be a large laboratory building. "Sho's inside. I'm sure of it."

"Well he did grow up in a laboratory as a test subject." Naoto said.

"What kind of test subject?" Blake asked.

"The kind they have to hide from the world." Naoto replied. "The tests were inhumane and illegal."

"They were trying to turn him into a living weapon." Yu added. "The people that did it were obsessed with the monsters from this world, shadows. He was trained to fight, trained to kill, but when the experiments failed to produce the desired results, they threw him out like trash."

"One of the experiments left him in a coma." Yosuke continued. "They stuck him in a hospital, not expecting him to pull through."

"Years later he woke up." Naoto said. "By then all the scientists involved were dead. One had almost treated him like a son; that is before the experiments failed and he was left to rot."

"That's terrible." Yang said.

"The only thing he knows is violence, so he'll probably attack us even though we're here to save him." Yu warned. "It's the only human interaction he's experienced."

"After hearing that I don't think I'd have the heart to fight him." Ruby said.

"Hopefully we won't have to." Rise encouraged. "I think we were starting to get through to him the last time we saw him."

The group walked up to the building and the glass doors slid open on their own. The inside was sterile and white, a disquieting mix of hospital and laboratory. A long white corridor was their only path ahead. To Team RWBY it soon became clear that the outside appearance of the structure had nothing to do with the inner layout. Team YYRN seemed unconcerned by the incongruity but to them it was somewhat disturbing. Their lack of understanding about the world only added to their anxiety as they group moved deeper into the facility. Before long, the winding corridor ended at a set of white metal doors.

"There are shadows inside." Rise warned. "There are a lot of them, but they're not very strong individually." Yu drew his sword with one hand and gripped the door handle with the other. Yosuke stood beside the other door and gripped its handle as Naoto and Rise aimed their weapons toward the room. Not sure what to expect, the members of Team RWBY readied their weapons. Yu and Yosuke nodded at each other then burst through the doors.

The room had the appearance of a laboratory with various scientific implements scattered about the workstations that lined the walls. Scientists milled about, except there was something very wrong about them. They were human in form but their faces were featureless. They all wore identical lab coats and white pants. They were clearly not human, and though they seemed to go through the motions, they were not actually doing anything with the devices that lined the room. Team RWBY did not find these shadows particularly threatening.

Suddenly, one of the shadows spotted the group, turned to face them and emitted a high-pitched screech. The others, now aware of the intruders, abandoned their prior routines and slowly approached. As they closed in, the shadows' hands turned into mechanical devices and began firing laser beams at the group. Teams RWBY and YYRN scattered as searing bolts of energy pierced the air. They maneuvered toward the shadows, closing the distance while carefully dodging their fire.

As he got closer, Yu stretched out his arm and fired a bolt of lightning at one of the shadows. The shadow groaned and shuddered for a moment but soon turned to him and fired the electricity back. It struck Yu but he was immune. Yosuke tried a similar tactic, blasting wind at a shadow. The shadow stood its ground before emitting a pulse of air in all directions, pushing the attackers back. Rise fired her own laser at the shadows from a distance, but it seemed to have little effect. Naoto agilely closed to melee range and plunged her rapier into one shadow's chest. It struggled and slumped a bit, and Naoto kicked it back off the blade. She quickly converted her weapon into a gun and blasted the shadow in the face repeatedly until its head was completely blown off. It melted into a viscous black substance before evaporating.

"That's it, physical attacks." Rise said. She rushed toward a shadow, sliding on her knees as she closed in to duck below its fire. As she slid to a stop, she planted her spear against her knee and fired, extending the point into the shadow's neck. She wrenched her weapon free, severing the shadow's head in the process. It too melted and evaporated.

Overcoming their initial surprise and confusion, Team RWBY entered the fray. Yang charged straight at a shadow, taking hits as she did, before smashing it in the face with an Ember Celica boosted punch. The shadow flew back into two others and all three tumbled to the ground. Weiss used her glyphs to slide to the pile of shadows at high speed. She plunger Myrtenaster into them, impaling them and pinning them to the ground. The shadows struggled for a moment before they burst, melted and dissolved. Blake acrobatically dodged her way towards a shadow, her doubles taking its fire for her. She sliced of its laser arm with Gambol Shroud's blade, the severed limb melting away fell to the ground. The now defenseless shadow stood there stunned as Blake repeatedly shot it in the chest and head until it too melted and evaporated.

In a flurry of rose petals, Ruby flew toward the remaining shadows, attracting their attention. She readied herself as they formed a semi-circle around her. As they closed in she bent and twisted her body like a coiled spring. She pulled Crescent Rose's trigger, and using the energy of the shot combined with the tension built up in her body, she spun around, blade out, and sliced the shadows in two. The bisected shadows crashed to the floor where they melted and evaporated. None remained.

"That wasn't hard." Yang said as she cracked her knuckles. "I didn't even break a sweat."

"They get tougher." Yosuke warned. "That was impressive though. You really tore them apart."

"Their bodies melt away just like Grimm." Weiss observed. "I wonder if they're related."

"I thought the same thing when we first encountered Grimm." Naoto said. "There do seem to be similarities, but I can't reach any definite conclusions."

"We should really keep moving." Rise urged. "There are more shadows here, including a very strong one near Sho. He might be in danger."

* * *

Adachi had more names on his list. Bartholomew Oobleck, professor at Beacon Academy, had apparently gotten in the way of whatever Torchwick was doing for the White Fang. Being a seasoned Huntsman, he would surely be difficult to deal with, so Adachi decided he would handle him last. There were still the three members of Team RWBY. They were students, kids, probably like the assholes who had stopped him on earth. They would be no trouble at all. Adam wanted one of them alive but that would not be a problem.

Adachi waited until the afternoon to go after them. Classes would be over and they were likely to be in their dorm room. He wanted to get them all in one shot. Posing as a detective, he made his way into Beacon Academy. With his background and a badge stolen from one of Vale's dumbest, he had no trouble convincing the relevant individuals that he was indeed who he said he was. Carrying a small television in a briefcase, he made his way to their room and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again but got no response.

The door across the hallway opened behind him. "Can I help you?" A tall girl with red hair asked.

Adachi found her quite attractive, but something about her told him she was dangerous as well. "Hi, I'm a detective." He said, flashing his badge. "I understand that Team RWBY was involved in fighting off the Grimm attack a few days ago. I just had a few questions for them. Do you know where they are?"

"No, but we fought there too." The girl replied. Adachi looked into the room behind them to see three others. "We might be able to help." She paused for a moment. "Come in." She finally said with a wave of her arm. Adachi walked in. Decent sized room, four beds, co-ed, it was the kind of thing he would have died for at university. There were weapons lying around, presumably belonging to the occupants. This planet seemed to be obsessed with creating the craziest weapons possible.

"Who's he?" Another redheaded girl asked. She seemed sickeningly perky.

"He's detective…what did you say your name was?" The tall girl asked.

"I didn't." Adachi replied. "I'm detective Adachi."

* * *

After walking through winding white hallways for what seemed like hours, Teams RWBY and YYRN arrived at another set of doors. "Let me guess, there are shadows inside." Blake said.

"You're picking this up quick." Rise said. "Yes, but just one."

"That doesn't sound too bad." Ruby said.

"It's a big one." Rise warned. "It's powerful too. It won't be a pushover like the others."

Team YYRN stacked up on the doors as they had done before. They burst through and into a large open area. This place did not look like the previous room. It looked like some sort of testing range with targets on the walls. The shadow was obvious. It took the form of a twenty foot tall humanoid figure, featureless like the scientist shadows but with a colossal cannon in place of one arm. The rest of its body appeared to be clad in plate armor.

Teams RWBY and YYRN dove aside as the unnatural meld of man and machine lobbed a shell from its cannon into their midst. The result was a tremendous fiery explosion that they somehow all managed to dodge. Yang immediately went on the offensive, charging straight at the shadow. "Wait!" Rise shouted after her. "Don't…" Yang leapt into the air and punched it in the face with all her momentum and might. There was a blinding flash as she went flying back in the direction she had come. She tumbled across the floor before coming to a stop gripping her arm and wincing.

The shadow took aim and lobbed a shell at the downed Yang. Another explosion erupted but Yang was already gone, swept up by Ruby in a flash of red and a flurry of rose petals. Ruby put Yang down on her feet. "Are you okay?" Ruby asked with obvious concern.

"My arm…" Yang trailed off, gripping her injured limb. "It's like it punched me back."

"It reflects physical attacks." Rise said. "I tried to warn you." There was no time for discussion as the shadow lobbed shell after shell at the group, forcing them to stay on the move constantly. Yu hit the shadow with a continuous stream of electricity. It stunned the shadow, but as soon as he stopped it resumed its attack, apparently unhurt. Yosuke tried to push the shadow off balance with wind, but the massive creature was hardly swayed.

"What are we supposed to do if our attacks don't do damage?" Blake asked, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Weiss, you can use ice and fire right?" Rise asked. "That might work. The rest of you can help distract it." Rise reached her hand straight up in the air. Beams of light curved out of her palm and made their way to the others. "There, you should be faster now."

As Weiss prepared to attack, the rest of Team RWBY attempted to get the shadow's attention. At first it attempted to target them, futilely lobbing shells that landed long after they had passed. Weiss was ready. She cycled Myrtenaster and lanced a line of fire at the shadow. The fire seared into the shadow burning away at its exterior as it cried in pain. Now ignoring the rest of Team RWBY, the shadow charged at Weiss before she could get off another attack. Just before the shadow reached her, Yu laid down a patch of ice in the monster's path. It skidded and slipped, slamming down on its back with a loud metallic crash.

"Finish it off!" Rise cheered. Fire worked and there was plenty to go around. Yang swapped the rounds in her gauntlets to fire dust. She joined Weiss as they blasted the downed shadow with flames. Yu and Naoto joined in and soon the creature was engulfed. It thrashed and roared before melting and evaporating away.

Yang shook out her arm. It still hurt from her failed attack. "You need to be more careful with shadows." Naoto advised. "They have strange properties. They can be immune or weak to certain types of attack. If you attack recklessly, you'll only end up injured."

"Yeah, yeah." Yang grumbled. She was not happy facing an enemy that could not be defeated by a good punch in the face.

"I've got some good news and some bad news." Rise said. "The good news is that there are no more shadows between us and Sho. The bad news is the shadow with him is much more powerful than I originally thought. We've got a real battle on our hands."

* * *

Alarm bells went off in Pyrrha's head. Adachi. That was the name of one of the men Team YYRN was after. They had mentioned it when they were investigating the day before. She could see that the others were thinking the same thing. "I think you should leave." Pyrrha said as she slowly reached for her weapons. She felt like something was wrong from the moment she had met him. Something about his demeanor, just the way he stood, the way he smiled, it was wrong.

"Oh, don't be like that." Adachi said. "Just do as I say and everything will be fine. Now, leave the weapons aside." Team JNPR now grabbed hold of their weapons. "You should have listened. Well, I guess I'll have to get rid of you as well."

Nora was the first to move. She swung Magnhild around, slamming the hammer into Adachi's head. He did not even react to the tremendous blow. He just grabbed the shaft of the hammer casually. Adachi unleashed electricity, channeling it through Magnhild and into Nora. She screamed in pain as her muscles contracted, then went silent and fell to the floor. Ren jumped up, his weapons sliding out of his sleeves, and charged at Adachi. Adachi reached out his hand, meeting this attack with electricity as well. Ren too went down. Adachi rushed up to him and kicked him hard in the side of the head, opening up a large gash at Ren's hairline. Pyrrha and Jaune attacked at the same time, but Adachi leapt out of the way with incredible speed, causing the two to collide. Adachi knocked Jaune out with a single punch to the side of the head just before Pyrrha knocked him back by hitting him in the chest with Akouo.

Adachi was caught off guard but unfazed as he faced Pyrrha from across the room. "You just had to be a bitch and resist." Adachi seethed. "Now I'll make you pay." He reached out his arm and unleashed a stream of electricity at Pyrrha. To his surprise, the current passed around her, curving until it was eventually fired back at him. "Neat trick." Adachi laughed. He lowered his hand. "I'll give you one free hit." He offered.

Pyrrha knew it was a trap but she was confident in her ability. She rushed at Adachi, Milo raised to strike. With a flippant wave Adachi unleashed a blast of wind at her. Pyrrha flew backward, slamming hard into the wall. She saw double as Adachi stomped over to her. She lashed out weakly with Milo but Adachi just kicked the weapon aside. He was impossibly powerful. Adachi grabbed Pyrrha by the throat and lifted her up against the wall. She wanted to fight but she was hurt and could feel her strength ebbing further by the second as Adachi cut off her breathing.

"Here's a free lesson for you." Adachi hissed. He let her drop slightly, grabbing her by the face. "When a man tells you what to do…" He slammed her head into the wall hard. "You!" And again. "Fucking!" Again. "Do it!" He let go and the unconscious Pyrrha dropped to the floor in a bloody heap. "Well, there's only one thing left to do." Adachi said to himself. He opened his briefcase and place the television on the floor.

* * *

The end of this hallway was different. Instead of ending in a set of double-doors, the hallway opened up slightly and was punctuated by a single, heavy-looking door and a large pane of glass. Yu approached the glass with the others close behind. "There he is." Yu said. Inside the next chamber, a circular room with featureless walls and a single door on the far side, Sho fought himself, that is his shadow self. He was doing a good job too. For all the rage and violence of his shadow, it was a poor copy. Sho had it on the ropes, slashing wildly with his twin blades as the shadow backed itself up until it reached the wall.

"I've had enough of your whiney bullshit!" Sho shouted as he continued to batter his shadow. "You're nothing like me you little bitch!" The shadow frowned and lowered its blades. Sho grunted and sliced it in two with a single swift motion. He continued to hack at it as the halves fell to the floor, melted and evaporated.

"Well, looks like he didn't need saving." Yang said.

"Uh, that's not his shadow." Rise warned. "Not really. We need to get in there fast."

"The door's locked." Ruby reported. She stood back and fired a sniper shot from Crescent Rose at it. The shot pinged off the door without so much as scratching the paint.

Inside the chamber, Sho stood alone in a rage. The door on the opposite side of the room opened. "Alright, who's next?" Sho growled.

An older man walked in. He wore a brown suit and glasses and had long brown hair. "Very good Sho." The man said. "You've improved."

"Y-you can't be." Sho stammered, his rage seemingly gone. "You're dead."

"Oh am I?" The man asked with a little laugh. "No one told me."

"When I woke up, they said…" Sho started.

"They said my life had reached a _dead_ end." The man laughed at his own bad joke.

"Holy shit, it is you." Sho said in disbelief. "How?"


	8. Gone

Chapter 8

"Who is that?" Weiss asked.

"That appears to be Shuji Ikutsuki." Naoto replied. "He was the researcher in charge of the experiments performed on Sho. He was the closest thing Sho had to a father, at least until the experiments failed." She knew him from the files on the Kirijo Group. "Since he was confirmed dead years ago, I'd say that's a shadow."

"Naoto's right, that's definitely the shadow." Rise confirmed.

"The real surprise is that you're still alive." The shadow continued. "I didn't think you had it in you. You are a failure after all. We did everything we could to get you to manifest a Persona and nothing worked."

"I have a Persona now." Sho countered.

"Too little too late I'm afraid." The shadow said. "It seems the mechanical maidens we developed were far more effective than you could ever be. You're worthless."

"I am _not_ worthless!" Sho yelled. "You're the failure. It was your stupid experiments.

"Is that any way to talk to your benefactor?" The shadow asked. "I gave you everything you have. Your combat skills, your newfound Persona, your money, it's all mine. Without me, you're worthless. You're trash to be tossed away. I don't know why anyone would take an interest in you. I certainly feel foolish for having taken one myself. What a waste of time, effort and money."

"I'm not worthless." Sho said, this time with less conviction.

"Sure you are." The shadow pressed. "No one cares about you. Even that scumbag Adachi kicked you to the curb as soon as it suited him. I should have done us both a favor and just had you killed like I wanted to. Those damn bleeding hearts in the Ergo Lab wouldn't let that happen."

"That can't be the truth." Sho said. His confident and strong façade was breaking down rapidly. He fell to his knees and dropped his weapons.

"Well, that's a mistake I shall correct here and now." The shadow said. With that the shadow collapsed into a puddle before reforming into a mechanical monstrosity. It bore the general form of Ikutsuki but was more robotic and had blades in place of its forearms. It was also twice as large.

"Enough!" Yu shouted. He stepped back from the glass and blasted it with wind. The pane collapsed under the onslaught allowing RWBY and YYRN to come to Sho's rescue. They rushed in and took up positions between the shadow and Sho.

"Wonderful, more test subjects." The shadow growled. "This will be quite the combat trial."

Yu opened the attack by assaulting the shadow with a bolt of electricity. Unfortunately it only seemed to make the monster stronger. It charged the group, swinging its bladed arms wildly. Yu stood his ground, dodging one slash and blocking another with his own sword before he got inside the shadow's effective range and unleashed a series of slashes of his own. They were ineffective and the shadow simply kicked him away, sending him tumbling back.

The shadow stomped toward Yu, hoping to hit him while he was down but it was forced back by twin blasts of wind from Yosuke and Naoto. While not good at doing damage, the wind seemed effective at keeping the shadow at a distance. That was until it braced itself and thrashed its way toward them, forcing the group to scatter. Ruby fired several sniper shots at the shadow. Though they failed to penetrate, the impact was enough to stagger the monster. Yang saw an opportunity and charged in, leaping into a punch to the shadow's chest. She followed it up with a flurry of blows that put the beast off balance. With the shadow distracted, Blake rushed in, extended Gambol Shroud's ribbon and wrapped it around the shadow's legs. Seizing the moment, Yosuke and Naoto blasted the shadow with wind. It tripped and clattered to the ground.

The group rushed in and hit the shadow with everything they had. The sound of metal on metal and the crackle of gunfire was overwhelmed as the shadow growled and thrashed wildly, forcing them back once more. It climbed to its feet and began slashing wildly at its attackers. Weiss failed to get clear in time and was tossed across the chamber and hard into the wall. Yosuke too failed to get out of range and was sent flipping through the air to a rough landing. Yu encased the shadow's legs in ice and it let out a roar of pain as it struggled to free itself.

"That's it!" Rise shouted. "Attack it now!" Yang charged forward and landed a solid punch to one of the shadow's frozen legs. It shattered, causing the now unbalanced monster to fall on its side. Yu continued to pile the ice on as Yang punched away, slowly cracking bits off of the beast. Weiss got to her feet and added more ice to the equation and soon the entire shadow was engulfed. The combatants charged and after a series of blows, the shadow was reduced to nothing but shattered pieces that melted and evaporated away.

Now all attention returned to Sho. He still knelt there, his head down and his eyes closed as if expecting a deathblow. Perhaps he wished for it. "Why are you assholes here?" Sho growled. "I thought I was finally done with you."

"We're here because we care about you." Yu said.

"Oh God, don't start with that power of friendship bullshit you love so much." Sho sighed. "You don't give a damn about me."

"We traveled to a parallel universe for you." Rise said. "Then, we came here to save you. I think that says we care."

"We saw everything too, so there's no point in acting tough." Yosuke added.

"Oh fuck off." Sho grumbled. "Just leave me alone."

"You know we can't do that." Yu said. He carefully approached Sho and kicked his swords away. "Remove the attachments." Yu commanded to the others. Yang picked up one of the blades and wrenched off the attached gun. Blake took care of the other. "I offer you a choice." Yu said, turning back to Sho. A glowing blue door appeared behind Yu. "You can stay here and go to prison for your crime. After all, you're a wanted man here. Or, you can step through that door and go back to earth."

"I wish you'd let me die." Sho said. "Both of those options suck."

"One sucks less." Yosuke said. "Just go back home. Things really aren't as bad as they seem."

"Yeah, I'm sure everything will work out for you." Rise encouraged.

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah." Sho said. He stood, picked up his damaged blades and walked to the blue door. Before entering he turned and faced the group. "One day I'll kill you all."

"We know." Yu said with a gentle smile.

"Before you go, what's Torchwick up to?" Blake asked.

"Hell if I know." Sho said. "He does meet with his associates a lot. He didn't say a word to me about it."

"What about Adachi?" Naoto asked.

"That son of a bitch…" Sho growled. "He's working for someone. I don't know who but they wanted Torchwick's pal Neo dead. Apparently I just got in the way. I don't know how but he's incredibly powerful."

"We'll stop him." Yosuke said.

"Maybe I won't have to kill you after all." Sho said. "If you fight him he'll do the work for me." With that he stepped through the doorway and disappeared into the blue glow.

"I think we're finally getting through to him." Yu smiled.

"Dude, are you delusional?" Yosuke asked. Yu shrugged. "Well we didn't learn anything useful but at least we saved him."

"Who would want Neo dead?" Weiss asked. Yang started to raise her hand before lowering it. "Why her and not Torchwick?"

"Who knows?" Ruby said. "Maybe's it's a personal thing."

"If Adachi is working for the White Fang like the rumors say, maybe they wanted her dead." Blake said. "I can't imagine why though. They're all supposed to be working together."

"We can figure all this out later." Rise said. "Right now we should go back."

* * *

Adachi had just finished tossing Team JNPR through his TV. He had thrown along their weapons and some other personal effects too. He wanted to make it look like they had left of their own accord, not been the victims of foul play. Surprisingly the fight had not broken any of the furniture or damaged the room. Apparently the walls were made of solid stuff because no one seemed to have heard the commotion either. Perhaps fights occurred at this school regularly. It was a combat school after all. There was little he could do about the blood, but he figured it would not be a big deal. They were students and a little mess was to be expected.

He packed the TV into his briefcase and walked out, quietly closing the door behind him. He walked out as fast as he could without looking suspicious and took the airship through the pouring rain back to Vale. His little trip had been fun but he would not be going back to Beacon. His cover-up would only buy time, eventually someone would realize something was wrong. If he returned he may be recognized by someone. He knew he was powerful and confident in his ability to defeat anyone, but there were literally hundreds of trained warriors at Beacon. That was a hornet's nest he did not want to poke. No, he would need to find another way to get to Team RWBY.

* * *

The TV Yosuke had produced for their exit had been a tight squeeze. It did not help that most of them exited head first and so crashed into YYRN's room that way. Still, they were out and it felt good to be somewhere relatively normal and safe. "We should tell the others that Sho's been dealt with." Ruby said. "I'm sure Team JNPR is worried."

"Good idea." Yu said. "We'll wait here for the Midnight Channel to make sure no one else is in there." Ruby headed off to announce the good news.

"How long were we in there?" Yang asked.

"A few hours." Naoto replied. "It's almost midnight already."

"It seemed like longer." Weiss observed.

"I don't think time works the same way in there as it does on the outside." Rise said. "Sometimes minutes feel like hours and hours feel like minutes."

"I still don't understand what that place is." Yang said. "It's so bizarre."

Ruby burst back into the room with a look of panic on her face. "They're gone!" She exclaimed.

"Maybe they just went somewhere." Weiss suggested. "Did they take their things?"

"Yes, but there was blood." Ruby said. "And one of Pyrrha's earrings was broken and on the floor."

"Why them?" Blake asked. "They have nothing to do with any of this."

Without warning the screen flickered on with a screech of static. "Hello viewers!" It was Nora, but not Nora. The girl on screen looked far too deranged. It must have been her shadow. "Tonight on Double Date we find out if our couples can find true love!" Behind her Jaune's shadow stared longingly at a photograph of Weiss while Pyrrha's shadow desperately tried to get his attention. She was being very aggressive but he was having none of it. "Now come here Ren!" Shadow Nora shouted. The camera panned to reveal Ren's shadow, a look of sheer terror on its face. Shadow Nora ran toward Shadow Ren who took off running. The picture faded to static as Shadow Nora continued her chase and Shadow Pyrrha got increasingly provocative.

"Well, I guess that confirms it." Naoto said. She tried to remain professional but it was clear that what she had seen made her uncomfortable.

"What did I just see?" Ruby asked.

"One day when you're old enough, I'll explain it." Yang said.

"That might be the most disturbing thing I've ever witnessed." Weiss said. "That world just keeps getting weirder."

"I've seen stranger." Yosuke said. "Kanji's was definitely worse." He and Yu both shivered at the memory.

"Were ours that bad?" Naoto asked, her embarrassment clear.

"Yours wasn't." Yosuke said. "Rise's was something else though." A smile spread across his face.

"Pervert." Rise said as she slapped Yosuke.

"You all seem troublingly at ease with this." Blake said.

"We've been through it all before." Yu explained. "Some of the things we've seen will haunt us forever. This was tame by comparison."

"We need to save them." Ruby said.

"Tomorrow." Yu said. "We need to rest. With four of them in there, that world is going to be more dangerous than ever."

* * *

Sho did not appear on the Midnight Channel. That had Adachi concerned. Either it worked differently in this world or somehow Sho had escaped. He had not shown up anywhere around Vale but he could be lying low. Sho was resourceful, maybe he had gotten himself out. That would have been a neat trick. There was a more troubling possibility however. Maybe someone had saved him. But who? There was only one group in any universe that Adachi was aware of that could have done that. He would have to look into it.

* * *

Teams RWBY and YYRN just wanted to rest, knowing they would have to venture into the shadow world to rescue Team JNPR later in the day but it was not to be. As far as Glynda was concerned, one member of YYRN was still untested. That had to change. Glynda had originally planned to have Naoto fight Ren, but his absence caused a change of opponent. Now Naoto would be fighting Sun. Naoto was happy to be out of the skirt that went with her uniform but was mortified to find out that the locker room was co-ed. Luckily, Sun did not need a change of clothes so she had it all to herself.

Dressed in her normal street clothes, Naoto felt much more at ease. Of course Sun immediately destroyed that ease as they met in the amphitheater. "I like you better in the skirt." Sun said with a carefree smile. Naoto's face turned bright red. "Are you embarrassed?" Sun seemed genuinely surprised by her reaction. "I guess you and Blake have more in common than just being quiet and mysterious."

"Please stop." Naoto said.

The buzzer sounded to start the match, ending the awkwardness. Sun slid his staff, bent in four, out from under his shirt and snapped it into one piece. He opened with his semblance, sending spectral clones charging at Naoto. She shouldered her rifle and snapped off two shots, striking each clone in the head. On contact the shots caused the clones to explode. Naoto was glad she had taken them out at a distance. Any closer and that would have hurt.

The clones were only a distraction as Sun charged in close. Naoto hurriedly converted her weapon to its rapier form and deflected Sun's repeated strikes. She was not skilled enough to do more than that however, being very out of practice. She needed distance, so with a wave of her arm she unleashed a blast of wind that forced Sun back. Naoto converted her weapon back into its rifle form and snapped off a series of shots. Sun kept moving and dodged them until Naoto had to reload.

Sun started to charge back in but Naoto reached out her arm and unleashed a blast of fire at him. He spun his staff in front of him, forcing the flames away as he continued to close in. Naoto was forced to change tactics as Sun got close, switching her weapon back into a rapier. Sun changed tactics too. His staff split in half and the halves became nunchucks. Now Naoto was hopelessly outclassed and could not help but take several hits while getting in none of her own. It got worse when Sun started using the nunchucks as shotguns, peppering her with fire. Sun reared back and put all his force into one hit, smashing Naoto in the midsection with both nunchucks and firing at the same time. She skidded backward and slammed to the ground.

Looking up at the scoreboard, it was clear that Naoto was close to defeat. The sliver of aura she had remaining would not endure another hit. Sun, on the other hand, was totally untouched. A loss this lopsided would be an embarrassment. She decided desperate measures were called for. She had never attempted it on a human opponent, but the power of darkness might carry the day. She sat up, wincing in pain. She made a circular motion with her hand and a black circle appeared below Sun's feet.

"What the…" Sun started. The circle collapsed on itself and Sun fell flat on his face before he could finish the sentence. The scoreboard showed his aura completely drained. Naoto got to her feet, still a bit wobbly, and stumbled over to Sun. After verifying that he was indeed still breathing, she let out a sigh of relief and walked away so Sun could be attended to.

"Are you okay?" Yu asked Naoto as she exited the combat floor.

"Not really." Naoto said. "That fight hurt quite a bit. I took a real beating."

"Is he okay?" Yosuke asked.

"He's alive." Naoto said. "I didn't want to use that on him, but I didn't want to lose so one-sidedly either."

"You did fine." Yu encouraged her. "This is a whole new style of fighting for all of us. At least you won, unlike Yosuke."

"Hey, I could have…" Yosuke started.

"What?" Rise challenged. "Not gotten your balls crushed? It was over."

"Yeah, I guess." Yosuke admitted. "Well, 3 of 4 for the team isn't bad. It sucks to be the only loss though."

"At least now we can focus on tonight." Naoto said. "I hope I'm feeling better by then."

"Oh, what's happening later?" Glynda asked, suddenly right behind them. Shocked, no member of YYRN could come up with a compelling excuse. With a sly smile she reached into her pocket and produced a small vial. "Dust infused medicine. Rub it where it hurts." She handed it to Naoto.

"Where was that after my fight?" Yosuke asked.

"Do not apply to eyes, mouth or genitals." Glynda added sarcastically.


	9. Pressing Need

Chapter 9

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Yang said. Traveling into the shadow world was unpleasant to say the least.

"So, did you find them?" Ruby asked, clearly concerned.

"Yeah, it was easy." Rise replied. "They're in pairs. Jaune and Pyrrha are together, and so are Nora and Ren. It was hard to detect Pyrrha and Ren though. I think they might be injured."

"They would have to be incapacitated to allow themselves to be thrown in here." Blake said.

"I think it's worse than that." Rise said. "I feel like they're very badly hurt."

"Who should we get first?" Weiss asked. "Can you tell us who's in worse shape?"

"I can't." Rise sighed. "We'll have to choose some other way."

"Which pair is more likely to hold on?" Naoto asked. "Taking into account the injuries of course."

"If Pyrrha's injured and they have to fight off shadows, Jaune won't be able to hold on by himself." Ruby said. "I'd have much more confidence in Nora. We should rescue them first."

"Jaune and Pyrrha are this way." Rise said, pointing as she started walking.

* * *

Jaune woke up flat on his back, his weapon by his side. His head hurt badly. He reached his hand up to his temple. It was swollen and tender. He felt a bit embarrassed, knocked out by one punch. He also felt guilty about being unable to protect his team. That Adachi guy walked in and wiped the floor with them. There was something unnatural about Adachi's speed and strength but it did not make Jaune feel any better. The floor was cold and felt good against his aching head but he could not just lie there. He could tell he was no longer in the dorm room, so Adachi must have taken him somewhere. He had to find the others and get out so they could warn Team RWBY.

Jaune sat up and looked around. Wherever he was, it was dark. He seemed to be in a dim spotlight but the difference in lighting made the rest of the room effectively invisible. Someone was on the ground nearby. It was Pyrrha! Nora and Ren were nowhere to be seen. "Pyrrha?" He called. She did not respond. He started walking toward her. "Pyrrha, we have to find Ren and Nora and get out of here." She did not move. The closer he got the better he could see. What he saw sent a shiver down his spine. What he had initially thought was her hair was a pool of blood surrounding her head. It was a lot of blood.

Jaune rushed over and slid to Pyrrha's side on his knees. To his relief she was breathing, shallowly but breathing. He rolled her face-up, her head and shoulders rolling onto his knees. Her face was covered in blood and badly bruised. He had to find the source of the bleeding. Carefully running his hand along her head he found it. Her hairband was bent and cutting into her scalp. It was supposed to be armor so it must have taken tremendous force to bend it. Careful to avoid worsening the injury, he removed the hairband and put it aside. "Come on Pyrrha, stay with me." He said.

With all the blood and hair it was hard to tell if the wound was still bleeding. Jaune needed to dress the wound. Still wearing his school uniform, Jaune removed his tie. He wrapped it around Pyrrha's head, covering the gash, and secured it with a knot. With all the damage Jaune knew Pyrrha had to have a concussion or worse. He had to find a way to get her medical attention, but he could not bring himself to leave her side and was afraid to move her, lest he make things worse.

"Wow Jaune, you sure seem to care about her a lot." A very familiar voice said from somewhere in the darkness. "Strange, given how you normally treat her."

"Wh-who's there?" Jaune stammered. He reached for his weapon and drew his sword, pointing it into the darkness. "What are you talking about?"

"You know who I am and you know what I'm talking about." The voice replied, closer now but still out of sight. "Normally you're the one hurting her, not healing her."

* * *

"Well this isn't exactly what I was expecting." Yosuke said as the group arrived at Jaune and Pyrrha's world. It was an imposing stone structure, a mix of classical architecture and more modern elements. "After that crazy dating show we saw on the Midnight Channel I was expecting something a bit more bizarre."

The group entered the building, finding themselves immediately in the sort of long hallway that characterized locales in the shadow world. The walls were finely cut stone with marble trimmings. The floor was covered with elaborate mosaics. Their footfalls echoed through the hallway as they carefully trekked further into the structure. After walking for some time they arrived at a set of huge, ornate wooden doors inlaid with gold.

"There's a shadow inside." Rise warned. The others had assumed as much. "It's a strong one."

Yu and Yosuke started toward the doors. "Hold on." Ruby said. "Let us take the lead on this one. When we were rescuing Sho you guys were always on point. If we're going to help you we need practice."

"Sure." Yu shrugged and stepped back. "Just be careful."

Weiss and Blake stood on either side of the doorway, hands on the door handles. Ruby aimed Crescent Rose as Yang stood beside her ready to charge in. "Go!" Ruby shouted. Weiss and Blake flung the doors open and Ruby and Yang charged in. The shadow was clearly visible, standing in the center of the area. It took the appearance of a giant statue of a warrior wielding a massive sword. The room looked like a combat arena.

"Physical attacks won't work." Rise warned. Yang broke off her charge and instead fired incendiary rounds from Ember Celica. The lumbering shadow was distracted by the fiery attack, giving the rest of the group a chance to enter the room and take up positions around the shadow. Blake rushed in close, flipping and diving as the shadow swiped at her. It connected only with her decoys. Thanks to her strategic use of dust, each of her doubles was explosive, and each strike blew up in the shadow's face. Still, it seemed more of an inconvenience than anything as the shadow shrugged off the blasts and kept attacking.

Weiss and Ruby stood side-by-side. Weiss produced white glyphs between Ruby and the shadow. Ruby fired through the glyphs, and each round produced an icy burst on impact with the shadow. She strategically targeted the shadow's joints and soon it was frozen in place, straining against the snare. Before the shadow could break free Yang and Blake charged in. Yang repeatedly punched the shadow's ice-encased shoulder. The ice shattered and the shadow's shoulder went with it, its arm and sword crashing to the ground. Blake attacked its knees, slashing furiously with Gambol Shroud but making little headway. Changing tactics, Blake back flipped away, leaving an explosive double next to the shadow's legs. She fired a single round into the decoy and it exploded, the blast destroying the shadow's legs and sending it slamming to the floor.

As the shadow struggled Weiss stepped up and completely encased it in ice. She ran forward, leapt high into the air, caught a glyph at the apex of her jump and rocketed down into the shadow. Cracks spread through the ice and the stony shadow beneath but it remained intact. Ruby raced in, firing Crescent Rose backward for propulsion before using the weapon to pole-vault into the air. Firing at another angle she sent herself into a high-speed front flip and slammed the blunt-side of Crescent Rose into the shadow. The dead-center hit shattered the shadow into innumerable pieces which soon melted and evaporated.

"Not bad." Yosuke said as he and the rest of Team YYRN gave a round of applause.

"Quite good actually." Naoto said. "You identified a weakness and exploited it perfectly. It's just the sort of approach required for fighting shadow."

"Uh, thanks." Blake said, not really sure what to make of the praise.

"We're not being sarcastic." Yosuke assured her. "It took us a long time to get it figured out but you guys got it right away. I'm sure our expert coaching helped."

"You were useless but Rise helped." Yang said. "Thanks for the heads-up." She slapped Rise on the back.

"No problem." Rise coughed, recovering from Yang's heavy-handed smack.

"Alright then, let's get moving." Ruby said. "Jaune and Pyrrha need us."

* * *

Pyrrha was suddenly conscious. Everything felt wrong. Her whole body tingled and her head dully ached. She seemed to be in a sea of infinite blackness. She raised a hand to her head, but that was wrong too. She was wearing her armor, but she could have sworn she had not changed out of her uniform. What had happened anyway?

Then it hit her, but only in flashes. Adachi's grin, Nora's scream, Ren's blood. After that, it was all foggy. Something happened to Jaune and then her, but what? She tried to walk but could not move. Pyrrha looked down and found, to her horror, that she was floating. There was no ground but she was not falling. "Am I…" She started.

"Dead?" A very familiar voice finished for her. "No. Not yet in any case."

"What's going on?" She asked. "Where am I? Who are you?"

A figure slowly resolved itself in front of her. She could not believe her eyes. Pyrrha floated there, face to face with herself. "I'm you of course." Her double said. It was not an exact copy. Something about the expression on its face, something about its eyes, made it look deranged and hateful. "As to where you are, that's a bit difficult to explain. You're unconscious and you've suffered a fairly serious head injury. You've also lost quite a lot of blood. You might call this a hallucination, but let me assure you, it's very real. After you were knocked out, your body was thrown into another dimension. This place exists in a crossover between that world and your mind."

"My team's in trouble." Pyrrha said. "I need to help them. I need to wake up."

"Not so fast." Her double said. "I don't think you want to wake up."

"What are you talking about?" Pyrrha asked. "Of course I do."

"For what?" Her double countered. "To suffer more pain? You might notice the dull ache in your head. Wake up and that gets much worse. You'll be too injured to so much as move."

"I don't care." Pyrrha said. "I need to help my team." She could hear another voice, but it was garbled and far away. She wanted to focus on it but her double kept interrupting.

"Physical pain is not all you'll face." Her double continued. "Don't forget the crippling loneliness. Jaune still doesn't notice you. He only cares about Weiss. Everyone else just sees you as the conquering hero. You'll be alone forever."

"What can I do about that anyway?" Pyrrha asked.

"You can end it." Her double replied. "Your life hangs by a thread. Decide it's not worth it and it'll all end quietly and painlessly. Your suffering will be at an end. As serious as your injuries are, there's no guarantee you'll survive anyway. Make it quick and easy. Just end it."

"You can't be serious." Pyrrha protested. "My life may not be perfect but I don't want it to end."

"Who are you trying to convince?" Her double asked with a deranged grin. "Me or you?" Pyrrha's weapon Milo floated out of the darkness and stopped at her side. "Take it and put an end to your suffering."

* * *

Another long and winding hallway led to another set of ornate doors. Rise did not have to tell the group that they were in for a fight, the pattern was clear. Yu lined up beside one door and Ruby took the other, their teams lining up in preparation. They flung the doors open and their teams charged in, but the shadow was nowhere to be seen. They carefully spread out through the arena-like space, searching for the enemy they knew was there but could not locate.

Ruby and Yu met in the center of the room. "Any ideas?" Ruby asked.

"This isn't something we've faced before." Yu said. "Shadows don't usually hide. "I'm not sure…" Before Yu could finish metal bars rose up out of the floor, surrounding he and Ruby and cutting them off from the others. Moments later a featureless, black humanoid figure dropped from the ceiling.

"I guess that's it." Ruby concluded. Yu nodded.

Before Ruby and Yu could make a move, the shadow unleashed a blast of fire at Ruby. She used her semblance to dodge the attack, leaving burning rose petals in her wake. Yu raised his arm to fire electricity back at the shadow but it was faster, hitting him with a blast of ice that immobilized him. As Yu struggled to free himself the shadow went back to attacking Ruby with fire. She zipped around the cage, avoiding being hit but unable to attack.

While still pursuing Ruby with fire, the shadow began constructing walls of ice. Ruby struggled to dart around the barricades but failed. She slammed head-first into an icy obstruction, smashing through it before tumbling into the bars. The shadow lined her up for a blast of fire but Yu was free. He hit the shadow from the flank with electricity, diverting its attention as Ruby groggily got to her feet. Yu charged the stunned shadow with his blade held high, slashing down at it when he got close. It dodged successfully and blasted him from the side with wind, sending him flying into the bars beside Ruby.

The shadow lined them both up and unleashed a massive fireball. The fireball struck the bars and dissipated, Ruby and Yu gone in a flurry of rose petals. Ruby put Yu down on his feet. After the impact with the bars and the violent nature of Ruby's rescue, he was a bit wobbly. Ruby had no such trouble, rushing straight at the shadow. She spun, whipping Crescent Rose around. It hooked the shadow but failed to cut through it, throwing it against the bars instead. It recovered quickly, launching a fireball at Ruby as she closed in to finish it off, forcing her to break off her attack.

Yu stepped up, blasting the shadow with electricity. It writhed as the current coursed through it. "Finish it!" Yu shouted. Ruby nodded and rushed in, slashing furiously at the shadow. Unable to endure the onslaught, it burst, melted and evaporated. The bars that surrounded Yu and Ruby melted away as well and the path ahead unlocked.

"Are you two alright?" Yang asked.

"I'm fine." Ruby said. Yu gave a thumbs-up.

"Come on, Jaune and Pyrrha are close." Rise said. "There's a powerful shadow with them too."

* * *

"I'm you, so I know all about the pain you've caused." Jaune thought the voice sounded like him but it was still a shock when the figure that stepped out of the darkness looked just like him.

"How can you be me?" Jaune asked. "I'm me. And what pain have I caused?"

"Let's start from the beginning shall we?" His double said. "You're a fraud. You lied to get into Beacon. That means someone deserving didn't get to. That doesn't just hurt that individual, it hurts the entire world. Now someone who could have been a great Hunter won't get the training he deserves. Instead, it's wasted on you. You'll never be the protector Remnant needs."

"I'm getting stronger." Jaune protested. "Pyrrha says I'm strong."

"You're letting your team down because of your weakness." His double continued. "They need a leader who can actually help them, not one they need to babysit."

"They seem pretty happy with me." Jaune countered. "Being a leader isn't all about strength."

"Keep telling yourself that." His double taunted. "What about Pyrrha? She has to teach you how to fight. Wouldn't she be better off training herself? You're holding her back?"

"I'm not making her do it." Jaune said. "I'm not holding her back. Am I?" He looked down at Pyrrha, still lying still on his lap. Her breathing was getting slower and shallower. He would never do anything to hurt her, right? "If she was conscious she'd tell you."

"That's not the only pain you've caused her." His double continued. "How can you be so blind?" Jaune had no idea what that meant and gave a quizzical look. "Wow, you are a moron."

* * *

"Take your weapon." Pyrrha's double said. "End your suffering." It paused and watched her. She hesitated. "Or don't. Suffer through your life alone. Jaune will never notice you. He will never care. You'll never be happy. The pain will never end so long as you live. No one will understand you or your pain. You'll always be alone!"

Pyrrha did not want to show emotion, but the berating was taking its toll. Tears filled her eyes. Her doppelganger was hitting all the sore points. Maybe it was right. Maybe she would never be happy, never stop suffering so long as she lived. Was that kind of life worth living? She grabbed Milo. Could she even do it?

"Go on, do it." Her double encouraged. "End your pathetic life."

She held Milo's blade to her chest. Finally her double shut up. It floated there with a satisfied smile on its face. Now she could concentrate. That voice, what was it saying? There was no question it was Jaune. "Just don't hurt Pyrrha." The voice said. He did care. Maybe not the way Pyrrha wanted him to, but maybe it was enough. In a flash she flipped Milo around, reared back and launched it at her double. It cut into her double's chest and lodged in place.

"Disappointing." Her double said with a frown. It melted away, followed by the rest of the world. Pyrrha's vision faded to black.

* * *

Teams RWBY and YYRN finally arrived at Jaune and Pyrrha's location. Jaune was kneeling in the center of the room, bizarrely arguing with another Jaune, with Pyrrha's bloody head resting on his knees. She looked bad, very bad. The kneeling Jaune turned to see the new arrivals. "Why did they have to be here to see this?" He sighed.

"She loves you but you're too dumb to see it." His double said. "Every time she tries to tell you, you completely miss it and it breaks her heart. You're only interested in Weiss and she hates your guts."

"Then why did she come to save me?" Jaune countered.

"It's not by choice." Weiss said. The others stared daggers at her. "I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

"See." Jaune's double continued. "You're nothing but a nuisance to Weiss, you hold your team back and you break Pyrrha's heart. You're worthless. The world would be a better place without you in it."

"That can't be true, can it?" Jaune said. Jaune was well aware that he was not the best person. He had done his share of terrible things. Was he that bad though? Maybe he was.

"It's true." His double said. "I'll do everyone a favor and kill you."

"Do it." Jaune said. "Just don't hurt Pyrrha."

"No deal." His double said. With that it melted into a black mass before reforming into a giant, grotesque version of Jaune. Its hands and sword were covered in blood and its eyes were filled with rage and hatred. Teams RWBY and YYRN rushed between the shadow and Jaune to protect him and Pyrrha. "Fine, I'll kill you all." The shadow growled.


	10. Standing Up

Chapter 10

The shadow, standing over twenty feet tall, bent low to swipe its sword in a wide arc, forcing Teams RWBY and YYRN to dive away. For the shadow, it had the desired effect, scattering the group and making each individual an easier target. It singled out Yosuke and sent him flying with a swift kick. He flipped through the air before landing on his back and skidding across the floor. By the time he recovered enough to get to his feet, the shadow was upon him. Yosuke dodged a vertical strike from the shadow's blade, but with a quick shift it slammed the side of the sword into him. Yosuke again went tumbling across the floor but this time he was out of the fight.

Yang charged the shadow with her characteristic reckless abandon, leaping into the air and repeatedly punching it in the face. It swatted her away like an annoying insect but Yang rushed back into the fight. This time the shadow met her mid-leap with its shield, slamming her hard into the ground. The shadow brought its blade down to finish her off but Ruby swept in and used Crescent Rose to hook the sword, pulling it off course and away from Yang. The shadow used Ruby's position against her, with a flick of its blade it sent her sailing through the air. Ruby slammed into Blake who was rushing in to help, and both slammed to the floor.

From a distance Rise hit the shadow with her laser, but the shadow simply ignored her, charging the isolated Naoto instead. She used wind to try to push the shadow back, but it kept coming. Yu rushed up behind the shadow to attack it from the rear just as Naoto hit it with a more powerful blast of wind. The shadow side-stepped Naoto's attack and it slammed into Yu, immediately sapping his aura and knocking him out cold. Before the shadow could resume its advance on Naoto, Weiss froze its feet in place. The shadow easily broke free and turned to face the new threat. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and lanced fire at the shadow but it simply stomped its way through the flames unhindered.

Weiss used her glyphs to deftly slide out of the shadow's path as the rest of Team RWBY renewed its assault. Ruby and Blake snuck up behind the shadow, each taking a leg. Ruby hooked one leg with Crescent Rose while Blake wrapped Gambol Shroud's ribbon around the other. From the front Yang charged and hit the shadow in the chest with as much force as she could muster. The shadow toppled onto its back, stunned for a moment, giving the attackers a chance to strike. Weiss froze its joints while Naoto blasted the shadow's head with fire. Ruby zipped around slashing at the downed monster, Blake stabbed at its neck and Yang pounded away on its chest.

It was all for naught as the shadow let out a roar and thrashed before whipping its sword around. The blade caught Blake and Yang, sending them flying, and forced Ruby, Weiss and Naoto to retreat. It also put the shadow between them and Jaune and Pyrrha. With the distance it needed, the shadow approached Jaune, still cradling Pyrrha's head in his lap. "It's time for you both to die." The shadow boomed.

Jaune gently placed Pyrrha's head on the ground and stood to face the monster. "I won't let you hurt her!" Jaune exclaimed. The shadow raised its blade high over its head and brought it crashing down. To the shadow's surprise, and everyone else's for that matter, Jaune caught the blade on his own and prevented the sword from reaching its target. Impressive a feat though it was, it was not a sustainable situation. Jaune's arms ached and his knees began to shake under the pressure. It was only a matter of time before the shadow won and crushed the duo from JNPR.

Pyrrha opened her eyes. At first her vision was blurry, and it was difficult to tell what she was looking at. As her vision resolved it became all too apparent. Jaune was protecting her, holding back a colossal blade wielded by, well, a huge grotesque version of himself. He could easily step out of the way and save himself but he was determined to protect her. Her double had been correct about the pain. She felt like her head would explode. At the same time she felt weak and dizzy, on the edge of consciousness and possibly death. Still, she could not let Jaune down, even if it killed her. She could barely raise her arm, but she forced herself through the pain. She activated her semblance, adding what strength she had left to Jaune's. She could feel her consciousness slipping away. There were distant shouts and her world faded to black.

"Back off!" Blake shouted. She leapt into the air, wrapped Gambol Shroud's ribbon around the shadow's neck, and pulled it tight. The shadow gave up on crushing Jaune for the moment, flailing in a fruitless attempt to get ahold of Blake. The shadow finally went with the easy solution. It fell flat on its back, forcing Blake to retreat or be crushed beneath its tremendous weight.

The shadow sprung to its feet and stomped toward its assailants. "I've had enough of your interference!" The shadow boomed. Then it found its feet encased in ice. Weiss continued to build up the frozen snare as Rise powered her up. The shadow groaned and strained against the ice but to no avail.

"Everyone stay back!" Naoto warned. She focused carefully and raised a palm to the sky. A massive ball of white light appeared above the trapped shadow. She brought her arm down, closing her hand into a fist, and the ball of energy descended, slamming into the shadow. There was a blinding flash and a thunderous boom. A blast wave followed, knocking them all off their feet. When the light faded, the shadow lie broken on the ground, its armor crushed and its features mangled. It melted and evaporated.

"Why didn't you just do that from the start?" Blake asked in annoyance. Naoto failed to respond. Looking over, Blake saw Naoto on her hands and knees hyperventilating.

Rise rushed to Naoto's side, placing a hand on her back. "An attack that powerful takes a lot of energy." Rise explained. "You don't use it except as a last resort. If it fails or there's another enemy, she's out of the fight."

"I'll be alright." Naoto said, waving Rise off. Rise went to check on Yu and Yosuke and do what she could to heal them.

"We need to get Pyrrha to a hospital." Jaune called to the others. He was back to cradling her head in his lap. She had returned to unconsciousness.

"Blake and I will get her out of here." Yang said. She carefully picked up Pyrrha and carried her bridal-style toward the exit, Blake following to protect them against an ambush.

"Are you okay Jaune?" Ruby asked. "You didn't look so good when we got here."

"That thing, the other me, said some things." Jaune said. "It hurt, a lot. Am I a burden? To you, my team, to Pyrrha?" He was not ready to discuss some of the stuff about Pyrrha.

"Of course not." Ruby said. "So you're not as good a fighter as most of us."

"All of us." Weiss interjected.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted. "Jaune, you're still a great leader. We all bring different talents to our teams. You're kind and funny and helpful. That's plenty."

"I guess so." Jaune said, sounding a little less depressed.

"Now, let's get out of here." Ruby said. "We need to get back and rest up so we can rescue Ren and Nora."

"You came for us but not them?" Jaune asked.

"Rise could sense that Pyrrha was hurt and that you were alone with her." Ruby explained. "We figured you were in the most immediate danger. We'll rescue them next. Come on, you should go to the hospital to get checked out too."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Jaune said. "My head does hurt."

* * *

"They're dangerous." Glynda said, growing impatient and annoyed with Ozpin's attitude on the issue. "I've tested their combat skills and they're well above what we expected." Ozpin just nodded. "I don't think it's any coincidence that JNPR has gone missing so soon after their arrival. They've been acting suspiciously as well."

"Perhaps it's as they say, and they are here to help." Ozpin said. "I think we should see how this plays out."

"Team JNPR is missing." Glynda protested. "We can't just sit back while four of our students are unaccounted for." Their scrolls simultaneously beeped. Ozpin sat still as Glynda reached for hers. She gave it a few taps. "Pyrrha Nikos has reappeared."

"Is that so?" Ozpin asked with a confident smile. "Are there any details on the circumstances?"

"She was delivered to the hospital by two members of Team RWBY." Glynda reported. "She's suffered severe head injuries and is currently unconscious."

"She arrived in the care of Team RWBY?" Ozpin said. "Ah, the team that has been most acquainted with YYRN. I wonder if they had a hand in her recovery as well." He took a sip of his coffee. "We'll just have to ask when she recovers."

Their scrolls beeped again. "Jaune Arc has also arrived at the hospital." Glynda read. "He has minor injuries and was accompanied by the rest of Team RWBY and the entirety of YYRN." Glynda sounded almost disappointed. She hated being wrong.

* * *

"Lunch is so lonely without JNPR." Ruby sighed. "I hope Pyrrha's okay. Nora and Ren too."

"Jaune was in pretty good shape, where is he?" Yosuke asked.

"He didn't want to leave Pyrrha alone in the hospital." Yang replied. "He said something about wanting her to see a friendly face when she woke up."

"Just leave me alone!" A girl's shout interrupted their conversation. Team YYRN turned to see a group of boys picking on a rabbit Faunus.

"Looks like Cardin's at it again." Blake said with thinly veiled anger. "Poor Velvet."

"Why doesn't someone do something?" Naoto asked. "Where's her team?"

"She told everyone not to." Blake explained. "She said she doesn't want to sink to their level." Team CRDL continued to pester Velvet mercilessly.

"She didn't tell us." Yu said. He immediately stood and headed in their direction. The rest of YYRN followed, taking his lead.

"What do you want?" Russel challenged him.

"You should leave." Yu said. Team CRDL turned away from Velvet to face him. Now everyone in the dining hall was focused on the confrontation.

"Please, it's okay." Velvet pleaded.

"You gonna' make us?" Cardin challenged Yu.

"Yes, actually." Yu replied with a steely look. He raised his hands in front of him and electricity arced between them. Yosuke stood beside him with a stern look, wind blowing through his hair and clothes. Naoto held a fireball, suspended above her hand. Rise balled her fists and surrounded herself in an otherworldly glow.

"It isn't worth is." Cardin said after a moment, breaking the stalemate. He tried to play it off but it was clearly a surrender. He departed, defeated, his team following him. Everyone else went back to their lunches, the prospect of a fight having passed.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to." Velvet said meekly.

"Didn't have to what?" Rise asked. "Help someone? Of course we had to."

"They're not worth the trouble." Velvet said.

"It's no trouble." Yu said.

"Jerks like that need to be put in their place." Yosuke added. "If you don't stand up to them, they'll never quit."

"I saw what you did there." A girl wearing sunglasses stepped up behind Yu and clapped her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, hi Coco." Velvet said.

"I would have done it myself if she hadn't told me not to." Coco sighed. "Thanks. I'm really sick of seeing those bullies pick on my teammate. Maybe now they'll think twice."

"I hope they don't retaliate." Velvet said.

"We can handle them." Yu said. He and the rest of YYRN returned to their seats.

"You're pretty amazing." Ruby said. Yu gave her a quizzical look. "Most people wouldn't get themselves involved in something like that to help a stranger."

"Really?" Yu asked.

* * *

Jaune had been waiting at Pyrrha's bedside for hours but she her condition was unchanged. He could not help but feel guilty about the whole thing. If he was a better fighter, maybe they would have been able to overpower Adachi. As he sat there and his mind was left to itself, he entered into a dangerous spiral of depression. Thankfully, it was broken by the arrival of Ozpin. His main purpose for the visit was to check on Pyrrha's condition, but he decided to use the opportunity to find out what had happened by asking Jaune.

Ozpin led Jaune into an empty room. "So, what happened to your team?" Ozpin asked.

Jaune was nervous but at the same time relieved. Talking to Ozpin freed him from his thoughts, at least temporarily. "This guy named Adachi did it." Jaune started. "He showed up, posing as a detective. We heard from RWBY and YYRN that he was a wanted criminal, so we tried to fight him off. We tried to fight him off, but he was too strong." Jaune frowned. "I was too weak."

"It's not your fault." Ozpin said reassuringly. "Your team is quite strong, how did one man defeat you?"

"He was really powerful." Jaune said. "He was super strong and fast. It was inhuman."

Ozpin nodded. "Then what happened?" He asked.

"He kidnapped us while we were unconscious." Jaune said, not technically lying. "RWBY and YYRN found us and rescued us."

"Where are Nora and Ren?" Ozpin asked.

"I don't know." Jaune answered. "They weren't with Pyrrha and me."

"Alright, thank you." Ozpin said, waving Jaune toward the exit. "I'm sorry you had to go through this. I'm sure your teammates will be fine. Just don't blame yourself, it's a dangerous trap."

* * *

"So this is Ren and Nora's world." Ruby said. The group stood before an imposing castle. Its stone walls towered over them as they stood before the immense wooden doors. "I'm not going to lie, I would have expected Nora to have one like this. I'm not sure how Ren fits in though."

"Well, Ren's injured." Rise reminded her. "Maybe only Nora's affecting the appearance of this place."

Not wasting time, the group entered through the gigantic doors, finding themselves in an elegantly decorated hallway. It was befitting of a royal palace with fancy light fixtures and beautiful paintings adorning the walls. A pink carpet with gold trim lined the floor. The paintings all seemed to depict Nora battling Grimm, usually her utterly crushing them. A few scattered paintings were more subdued however, depicting nature in a more peaceful state. Perhaps it was Ren's calming influence. After walking for some time, the group arrived at a set of large wooden doors. They were carved with more battle scenes starring Nora, with hearts cut into the background and borders. It was a somewhat disturbing juxtaposition. The group burst through the doors and into what appeared to be a spacious ballroom. The room was lined with elaborate tapestries showing Nora fighting Grimm, surrounded by hearts.

The shadows were obvious enough, four animate suits of armor wielding axes. Yang rushed straight at one, punching it hard in the chest. The armor bent noticeably but the shadow was unmoved. It swung its axe around, catching Yang in the stomach and sending her slamming into the wall. The shadow approached Yang but Ruby fired at it with Crescent Rose. The shots bounced off harmlessly but it did get the shadow's attention as intended. Ignoring Yang, the shadow stomped toward Ruby. It lifted its axe above its head and brought it down at Ruby. It cut through only rose petals, Ruby being long gone. Before the shadow could turn around, Yang slammed her fist into the back of its head, denting the helmet heavily. The shadow wobbled but refused to go down until Yang punched her fists together, the shadow's head between them. The shadow's helmet was crushed flat and obliterated by twin blasts from Ember Celica. It melted and evaporated.

Rise ran at a shadow. She slid on her knees, coming to a halt just in front of it. She planted her spear and fired it, the point extending into the shadow's helmet and staggering the shadow. Yosuke followed close behind and hit the shadow with a blast of wind. The already off-balance foe fell flat on its back. Rise held her spear vertically, point down, and fired it into the shadow's chest. The point penetrated its armor and pinned it to the ground. Naoto approached, aimed her rifle at the shadow's head and emptied her magazine. The point-blank shots punched neat holes in the helmet and soon the shadow melted and evaporated.

Weiss engaged a shadow in close combat, deftly deflecting its axe strikes with Myrtenaster. Between each slow but powerful swing of the shadow's axe, Weiss was able to hit it with several strikes of her own. The shadow's armor defeated her attacks, but the shadow's attention was fully occupied. Blake snuck up behind the shadow and stabbed it in the back with Gambol Shroud. Her weapon's blade scythed through the armor and the shadow flailed in panic. Weiss jumped back, caught a glyph and launched herself at the shadow. Her sword penetrated its armor easily as she struck at high speed. Stabbed from back and front, the shadow melted and evaporated.

Yu approached the fourth and final shadow with a confident smile. Seemingly angered by his arrogance, the shadow charged, swinging its axe wildly. Yu side-stepped the shadow and delivered a swift kick to its back. The shadow stumbled forward but stayed on its feet. It turned around and angrily slammed its axe into the ground. Yu raised his arm and unleashed a continuous blast of electricity into the shadow. The highly conductive shadow convulsed violently under the onslaught before it exploded spectacularly in a shower of sparks. The bits melted and evaporated.

"We really crushed them." Yang said. "That was pretty easy. I think I'm getting the hang of fighting shadows."

"Don't get overconfident." Naoto suggested. "This fight went perfectly, but you've seen how tough they can be."

"I don't think fighting through here will stay this easy." Weiss said. "Based on Nora's personality, I'd expect the enemies to be powerful, aggressive and crazy."

"Are you saying Nora's crazy?" Yosuke asked.

"Are you saying she's not?" Weiss countered.

"Weiss, she's our friend." Blake said. "You shouldn't talk about her like that." Weiss just shrugged.

"Well, we should get moving." Ruby said. The conversation made her uncomfortable. "Nora and Ren aren't going to save themselves!"


	11. The Scholar and the Queen

Chapter 11

Nora woke up more slowly than usual. She was uncomfortable. Did she fall asleep on the floor again? Ren usually moved her to a bed when she did that. She only had to open her eyes to find out things were not so simple. Looking around she found herself on the floor of a spacious throne room. A pink carpet, lined with gold, led to an elevated throne. In the other direction the carpet led to a set of elaborate doors. Was she dreaming? Nora spotted Magnhild on the ground by her side and reached for it. Touching it was painful. She looked at her hands and found they were burned. The burns were already starting to heal with the help of her aura, but they still ached.

Then Nora remembered what had happened. That Adachi guy had shown up and shocked her unconscious. That explained the burns but not where she was. What happened after that? Where was she? Were the others alright? She saw something on the ground to the left of the throne. Was it a person? She got up, feeling a bit dizzy, and walked over to investigate. It was Ren! "Ren!" She shouted. He did not respond. "Ren?" She walked closer and what she saw made her sick. Ren's face was drenched in blood and he was clearly unconscious. She rushed to his side and shook him. "Ren, wake up!" But he did not. She sat beside him, grabbed him by the shoulders and rolled him onto her. "Please wake up!" She cried, hugging his head tightly to her chest.

"Now why would he want to wake up?" A very familiar voice asked. "To be bothered by you some more? This is his chance to escape from that suffering."

The voice seemed to come from everywhere. "Who…where are you?" She asked.

"You know who I am." The voice replied.

* * *

Ren opened his eyes. He had no idea what was happening. One moment he was fighting Adachi, the next he was here. But where was here exactly? His senses gradually returned to him and the world started to resolve itself. He was surrounded by shelves of books. They seemed to go on endlessly. He was seated at a simple wooden desk, more books piled up atop it. It was all very strange. He had the nagging feeling that this place was not what it seemed. He tried to stand but found that he could not move.

"Hello Ren." A voice said. Ren recognized it immediately. It was his voice. The voice seemed to know that he knew. "You do most of your talking to yourself anyway, so this should be easy for you to understand."

"Well, me, what is this place?" Ren asked. "What happened?"

A copy of him appeared across the desk. There was something strange and unnerving about it. Maybe it was the eyes or the way it smiled. "I think what happened is easier to explain, so I'll start there." His copy said. "You got kicked in the head pretty hard. Your brain got bounced around and on top of that you lost quite a lot of blood." His double was far more talkative than the original. "Right now, you're unconscious. Your body was thrown into another dimension by Adachi. This place is a product of the interaction between that world and your mind."

"Who are you?" Ren asked, knowing the answer he was likely to get.

"I'm you." The double said. "But you already know that. I think the question you're looking for is, 'why am I here?'" His double smirked. "I'm here to guide you to happiness. Happiness you'll find in this place."

Ren did not like the way his double had said that. "Happiness?" He asked.

"I'm here to grant your greatest wish." His double said. "You want to find the answers to life's great questions. You want inner peace. I am here to offer it."

"And how would you do that?" Ren asked.

"Around you is knowledge encompassing the entirety of the multiverse." His double said. "I offer you an eternity to study, absorb and contemplate that knowledge. So armed, the meaning of life will be at your fingertips, along with the key to inner peace."

"What's the catch?" Ren asked. The offer was too good to be true. At least too good to be free.

"You must sacrifice your contact with the physical world." His double explained. "You will exist as a being of pure thought. You will be alone, but you will be all-knowing."

"Why would I do that?" Ren asked.

"Don't tell me you really would prefer to go back." His double laughed. "The world is so full of strife, so full of distraction and annoyance. Do you really want to go back to your life of babysitting Nora? With everything she's put you through, everything she will put you through; you should be dying to escape. You have to keep her from hurting herself, clean up after her, apologize for her, and do all the things she can't be bothered to do herself. Surely you'd be happier here, freed from the burden."

Ren could not help but admit that his double had a point. Life was taxing, particularly with Nora. There was never time to meditate, to reflect, and to have some peace and quiet with Nora around. Maybe being free from that would make him happier. But that was selfish. What would the others go through? His friends would be crushed. It would be as if he died. Nora may never recover from something like that.

"You've spent your life thinking about others." His double said, as if reading his thoughts. "Now is that time to think about your own happiness. Do not let the feelings of others stand in the way of your happiness."

If his double had intended to sway him, it had the opposite effect. Now he was sure. He could not accept its offer, no matter how tempting it may be. Even if it made him happy, it was wrong. He would not be happy anyway, isolated from everyone. What was life without friends to share it with? Mustering all his strength and willpower, he shot his hands forward. His guns slid out from his sleeves and he grabbed hold, leveling them at his double. "I reject your offer." He said as he pulled the triggers. Bullets leapt from his weapons and slammed into his double. His double simply faded away, a frown of disappointment on its face. Then Ren's world faded to black.

* * *

"Well this isn't what I was expecting at all." Yang said as the group entered another large room. It was lined with bookshelves, like a library. "The only thing Nora does in the library is sleep."

"She sleeps?!" Rise asked with genuine surprise. "I guess no one can keep up all that energy all the time."

"It could be Ren's influence." Blake posited. "He is very serious about his studies."

"Wasn't there supposed to be a shadow in here?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, but I don't…" Naoto started. Suddenly, a black glob rose from the floor and coalesced into a featureless humanoid figure. "Never mind."

The shadow reached out its arm made a 'shush' sound. Yu reached out his own arm to shock the shadow, but nothing happened. He tried again but was unable to produce any electricity. Yosuke likewise was unable to blast the shadow with wind as intended.

"I think the shadow's suppressing our abilities." Rise warned. "I can't tell for sure, because, well, it's suppressing my ability to scan it."

"Looks like we'll have to take it down the old-fashioned way." Yosuke said. He grabbed his twin blades and charged at the shadow. He attempted a leaping, spinning slash but the shadow easily sidestepped his attack. It punched him hard in the back of the head, slamming him face-first into the ground.

Naoto raised her rifle and took aim at the shadow. She pulled the trigger. Click. She was sure there was ammunition. She tried again. Click. "Well that's annoying." She sighed. "Looks like we can't shoot either." Seeing Naoto's confusion and distress, the shadow charged, driving her into the ground with a running tackle. Yang rushed up behind the shadow to assist but it spun around and met her attack, blocking perfectly as Yang launched a series of punches. Yang reared back for a more powerful strike, but the shadow preempted it by kicking her in the stomach. As Yang doubled over, the shadow slammed an elbow down into the back of her head, sending her to the floor hard.

Blake threw half of Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, and hooked the shadow's shoulder. She tugged hard, pulling the shadow off balance. Weiss rushed in and stabbed at the shadow with Myrtenaster, but the shadow dropped to the ground to avoid the strike. Weiss stabbed down at the prone shadow but it rolled out of the way, kicked her in the wrist to knock her sword out of position, the grabbed her leg and tripped her. Weiss went down but Ruby was there to keep the shadow occupied. She slammed the blunt side of Crescent Rose into the shadow's chest, sending the shadow flying into a bookcase. The bookcase collapsed, spilling books onto the shadow as it stumbled to its feet. Rise was there in a flash. She planted her spear against her foot and fired it into the shadow's chest. The blade found its mark, pinning the shadow to the wall. Yu came in to finish it off, severing the shadow's head with a single swift strike. The shadow melted and evaporated.

"That was irritating." Weiss said as Blake helped her to her feet. Nearby Yang sat up, looking more embarrassed than injured. "Do shadows usually play tricks like that?"

"Some of them do." Rise said as she and Yu helped Naoto up. Naoto looked like she was in pain. "I guess you just get used to it."

"At least this one didn't one-shot any of us with darkness or light." Yosuke said as he struggled to his feet. He grabbed a bookshelf to pull himself up but it gave way, sending him tumbling back to the floor. "I'm alright." He groaned.

"You just have to be careful." Yu said. "Shadows are capable of almost anything, but they all have a weakness. You just need to find it."

* * *

Jaune was close to falling asleep. After hours of waiting at Pyrrha's bedside, even the bright lights and beeping of the monitors was not enough to keep him awake. He was worried about her, but there was nothing he could do. When he first arrived, he watched the doctors closely to see if he could get a feel for what they were thinking. Their seeming lack of confidence filled him with dread. Pyrrha had stabilized and her vitals were improving, but head injuries were tough. The one thing the doctors were happy about was how fast she had been brought in. They said it had only been an hour or two since she was injured. That seemed impossible. The two of them had been missing for over a day. All Jaune could figure was that time worked differently in that other world. Either that or Pyrrha worked differently.

Just as Jaune was starting to feel unable to keep his eyes open, Pyrrha moved. It snapped him to full alertness. She had not moved since she had been brought to the hospital. Was it just his imagination? No, there it was again. It was subtle but her facial expression definitely changed. Then her eyes opened. "Pyrrha?" Jaune said hopefully.

Pyrrha blinked furiously as her eyes struggled to adjust to the bright light. Squinting, she turned her head ever so slightly in Jaune's direction. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "J-Jaune?" She said weakly.

"I'm here." Jaune said. He leapt from his chair to her side, grabbing her hand. "I'm here."

Pyrrha found herself having trouble focusing. She felt no pain, but she felt nothing really. Whatever medication the doctors had her on was strong stuff. Her mind was hazy. "Jaune, are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm the one who should be asking you." Jaune said. "I'm fine, a little sore, but fine."

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked. "Where am I?"

"Team RWBY and Team YYRN rescued us." Jaune said. "We're in the hospital."

"I don't like hospitals." Pyrrha said. "They're too sterile." It seemed her mind was drifting. Then it snapped back. She looked Jaune in the eyes. "Where are Ren and Nora?" She asked with concern.

"I…I don't know." Jaune admitted. "We were separated." Pyrrha frowned and lowered her head. Jaune had to do something to cheer her up. "Don't worry though. RWBY and YYRN know where they are. They're getting them right now."

"Oh, that's good." Pyrrha said with a smile. "That's good." She drifted back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Nora looked up to see someone sitting sideways on the throne, her legs bent over the armrest. It was hard to believe, but it was clearly another Nora. This one was dressed regally, like a queen. Aside from the disturbing nature of facing her doppelganger, something about its appearance made it even more ominous. "Come on Ren, wake up." Nora said, still holding his bloody head tightly to her chest.

"He's not going to wake up." Her double said. "Ever."

"No, he'll be fine." Nora protested. "He has to be."

"That's the crux of it." Her double said. "You need him. You can't live without him. Even if he never sees you the way you see him, you can't stand the thought of not being with him. The problem is he doesn't need you. The only reason he hasn't just left you is because he's too nice. He doesn't want to hurt you, but you cause him so much trouble. Now that he has the chance to escape, why would he ever come back to that? Deep down, he hates you."

"He can't hate me." Nora said. She was starting to cry. "Can he? We have fun together, right?"

"You have fun." Her double countered. "He has to clean up after you, apologize for you, and make sure you don't hurt yourself. Hanging around with you is so much work for him. No wonder he's so lethargic. He has to use all his energy just to deal with you."

"But I…we…" Nora started but she could not finish. Tears streamed down her face. "Please wake up."

"He's never going to wake up." Her double said. "You're alone."

Just then Teams RWBY and YYRN burst into the throne room. "Leave Nora alone!" Ruby shouted.

"Intruders?!" Queen Nora boomed. "In my throne room?! Guards, eliminate them!" With that a number of black globs dropped from the ceiling, each resolving into a mannequin-like being wearing leather armor and carrying a longbow. The shadow archers lined up, forming a barrier between Queen Nora and the group. They readied their arrows and fired a volley that sent RWBY and YYRN diving for cover. Queen Nora looked on; a satisfied and menacing smile on her face.

Yu landed on his side after his evasive dive. He reached out his arms to blast the archers with electricity. It arced from his hands to the shadows then arced between them but it had no effect. Naoto tried fire, but her incendiary attack broke over them without doing any damage. They fired another volley and Yosuke broke it up using wind, knocking the arrows out of the air.

"This is bad." Rise said. "They seem immune to everything."

Yang charged at the line of archers. They fired another volley, the arrows deflecting off her aura. She reached one and punched it hard in the face. The shadow stumbled back a few steps but almost immediately regained its balance. It lifted its bow and fired a shot straight at Yang. She punched it out of the air and backflipped away as the other shadows fired on her, their arrows just missing her as she desperately tried to avoid the onslaught.

Ruby fired sniper shots at the shadows but the shots bounced off harmlessly. Weiss slid in using her glyphs and stabbed at a shadow. Myrtenaster glanced off the shadow without leaving a mark and then it countered by hitting her in the face with its bow. Weiss was pushed back, almost tripping as she staggered away. The shadow fired an arrow at her. She dodged to the side as quickly as she could and the arrow passed through her combat skirt, just missing her body. She used her glyphs to make a hasty retreat back to the others.

None of their attacks were working. They needed to buy some time. Yu began building a wall of ice between the shadow archers and the group. Soon he was joined by Weiss and together they constructed a frozen barrier to hide behind. The shadows aimed high, letting their arrows arc over the barrier and fall behind it. RWBY and YYRN rushed to the ice wall and got as close to it as possible to avoid the incoming fire. The shadows split their strategy, some firing high to keep the group pinned, others firing straight at the barrier to chip away at it.

"Wake-up-wake-up-wake-up-wake-up!" Nora cried, holding Ren tightly and rocking back and forth. "You have to wake up!"

Queen Nora cackled as her shadow archers launched volley after volley at RWBY and YYRN. "Yes, kill them!" She laughed. "Kill them all!"

Ren opened his eyes and coughed. His head hurt badly and he felt weak. "Ren?" Nora said through her tears, holding him at arm's length and looking him in the eyes.

Ren looked back. Nora was covered in blood but did not look hurt. He assumed it was his blood. She looked hysterical but not nearly as insane as the other Nora sitting on a throne nearby. If this was anything like his experience, the queen was a monster. "Nora, I'm here." He said weakly. He struggled to turn, wanting to see what the other Nora was laughing at. He saw inhuman creatures firing arrows at an ice wall. Behind it he could make out several figures. He listened carefully for their voices. It was his friends. They sounded desperate.

"Ren, I'm so glad…" Nora started.

"Nora, you need to help them." Ren cut her off.

"But what about you?" Nora asked, sniffling.

"Forget about me." Ren said. "I'll be fine. Right now, you need to save the others." He put on as brave a face as possible, knowing he was in fact not fine but not wanting Nora to know. "Go!"


	12. Brutal Vengence

Chapter 12

Ren's shout snapped Nora out of her trance. She gently laid Ren on his back and grabbed Magnhild. She stood and faced her double who was laughing hysterically as her shadows archers chipped away at the barrier protecting RWBY and YYRN. "Leave them alone!" Nora screamed. She swung Magnhild with all her might, slamming the hammer into Queen Nora's chest. The impact smashed Queen Nora through the back of the throne and sent her flying into the wall behind. With a look of terror and confusion on its face, Queen Nora lay on her back. Nora approached, and stood over the downed shadow. "Ren will never abandon me!" She shouted. She raised Magnhild high over her head and slammed it down onto the shadow's head, smashing it into a puddle of black fluid. Queen Nora melted and evaporated, followed soon after by her shadow archers.

"Nora, are you alright?" Ruby asked.

"I'm okay if Ren's okay." Nora said, smiling. "Ren, let's go home." But Ren was unconscious again. Nora rushed to his side, joining Rise who was already there. "Is he okay?" She asked nervously.

"He's just resting." Rise said. It was not the whole truth. "He'll be fine but we need to get him to a hospital. You should go too."

"I hate hospitals." Nora shuddered. "Do we have to go to the hospital?"

"It's for the best." Blake said. "You should get checked out just to be safe. Jaune and Pyrrha are already there waiting for you."

"Are they alright?" Nora asked. "I was the first one knocked out, so I don't know what happened."

"Pyrrha's a little beat up but she's getting better." Yang said. "Jaune's only there to be at Pyrrha's side."

"So are those two together-together now?" Nora asked hopefully.

"Somehow, no." Yang replied. "That boy's dumb as a rock."

"Jaune's not so…well…never mind." Ruby said. "Let's just get out of here."

* * *

"It seems the rest of Team JNPR has surfaced." Glynda reported.

Ozpin nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "Accompanied by RWBY and YYRN I trust?" He said.

"Yes." Glynda confirmed. "Nora Valkyrie has some minor injuries and Lie Ren is in serious but stable condition. It looks as if they'll all recover."

"Very good." Ozpin said. "I hope their psychological wounds will heal as easily."

"Now that JNPR is safe, I think it's time we confronted YYRN and found out what they know." Glynda suggested. "They clearly have inside knowledge of the situation that we simply do not possess."

"If you insist." Ozpin said. "Have them come by tomorrow after their class with you."

* * *

Pyrrha's head hurt badly now. The painkillers then hospital had been giving her were effective, but she preferred being lucid to being pain free. She could deal with the pain. "They just brought Nora and Ren in." Jaune said. The sound of his voice hurt Pyrrha's head, but any sound did that. "It looks like they'll be alright. They're down the hall, so we can go visit them whenever you're ready."

"That's great." Pyrrha said, doing her best to hide her pain. She felt ready now but the doctors would have none of that. "Jaune, why are you still here? You're not injured and I'm sure you're tired. You should go and get some rest."

"I can't just leave you here alone." Jaune replied. "It's bad enough to be stuck here; you'd go crazy without someone to talk to." He paused. "I'm worried about you too. When you first came in, the doctors looked really concerned. They wouldn't say it but I don't think they were very confident about your condition. I just want to be sure you're alright."

"That's very kind." Pyrrha said. She hoped Jaune was turning a corner. Maybe he was beginning to understand. "You're a great friend."

"I could be better though." Jaune frowned.

"Where did that come from?" Pyrrha asked.

"Am I a burden?" Jaune asked. "I know I'm a lousy fighter, and you've taken so much time to train with me. Maybe you'd be better off focusing on yourself."

"Don't be silly." Pyrrha said. "I love training with you. It's not like I don't get a benefit as well. All my life I've been the center of attention. It's nice to be the one giving attention for a change. You could never be a burden to me. Just seeing you brightens my day."

"I just hope you're not wasting your time." Jaune said. "I would hate it if I turned out not to be the friend you hoped I'd be."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Pyrrha encouraged him.

* * *

"Team YYRN, I'd like to speak with you." Glynda said as she dismissed the rest of the students. The conversation did not sound optional.

"We'll meet up with you later." Ruby said as she and her team departed.

"What do you want to discuss?" Yu asked Glynda.

"Not here." Glynda said. "Ozpin would like to speak with you as well."

* * *

Yang's scroll beeped and she answered it. "Hello?" She answered.

"Blondie?" Junior said. "Good. I have some important information for you regarding Torchwick and the White Fang. Come to the club."

"Can't you just tell me over the phone?" Yang asked.

"No." Junior replied. "Hurry, it's important." He hung up.

"That was Junior." Yang said to her team. "He says he has info and wants us to meet him at the club."

"Let's go then." Weiss said.

"Shouldn't we wait for team YYRN?" Ruby asked. "I'm sure they'll want to know too."

"I don't think it can wait." Yang said. "It sounded like it was urgent."

"We can fill them in when we get back." Blake said.

* * *

"I think you know why you're here." Ozpin said. He was not confrontational or intimidating. "Team JNPR disappeared, only for you to find them. The man you're chasing, Adachi, seems to be responsible for their disappearance. I just want to know if there's anything you're not telling me."

"The only information we have on Adachi is that he seems to be working for the White Fang." Naoto said. "We don't know why he went after JNPR. Perhaps we were the intended target."

"I don't know how he would know we were here though." Yosuke added. "We've kept a pretty low profile."

"Perhaps he had another reason for being here." Ozpin suggested. "His motives aside, I'd like to know where you located Team JNPR. They were unable or unwilling to tell me, and my own search came up empty."

"You wouldn't believe it if we told you." Rise said.

"Try me." Ozpin said. "I think you'll find I'm capable of believing quite a lot."

"For lack of a better way to describe it, they were in another dimension." Naoto said. Ozpin raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for further explanation. "Where we're from, some people like ourselves and Adachi have the power to access a parallel universe. This includes the ability to force others into it. That world can be a very dangerous place for the unprepared. It is full of deadly monsters and preys on your insecurities."

"Do you seriously believe them?" Glynda asked incredulously. Ozpin waved her off.

"We entered that world and with Team RWBY's help rescued Team JNPR." Yu said. "We also successfully captured and detained the other individual we were searching for, Sho Minazuki. While we were dealing with Sho, Adachi attacked JNPR."

"If you're telling the truth, and I have no reason to suspect otherwise, it sounds like the four of you are the only ones capable of effectively combatting Adachi." Ozpin said. "I have one other concern I hope you can clear up. Adachi managed to overwhelm the entirety of Team JNPR. JNPR is one of the most talented teams at Beacon, so this is quite a feat. Is Adachi that powerful or did he use some sort of trick?"

"I can't say for sure." Yu replied. "The last time we met he was no match for me, but he has a talent for gathering power from…unconventional sources. He's clever, so I wouldn't rule out his using some sort of ruse, but I'd lean toward him being powerful. As for how he gained that power, I can't say."

"Well, thank you for answering my questions." Ozpin said. "Good luck."

* * *

Yang led the rest of Team RWBY into Junior's club. This time of day it would normally be open, but the place was quiet and empty. Maybe whatever Junior found was important enough to shut the place down for. Still, it was ominous. Yang looked around for Junior. He was usually standing at the bar but she did not see him. She did not see anyone for that matter. His henchmen and the twins were nowhere to be seen. Yang approached the bar, the rest of her team close behind. There was something spilled on it which was weird. Junior was usually pretty good about keeping the place clean.

"Junior?" Yang called.

A groan came from behind the bar. "Blondie?" Junior said weakly. Yang jumped over the bar to find Junior slumped on the floor behind it. His face was bruised bloodied.

"What happened?" Yang asked.

"Blondie, I'm sorry." Junior said. Then he lost consciousness.

"Well, well, well." An unfamiliar voice said from the direction of the entrance. "If it isn't Team RWBY." They turned to see a lanky man in a wrinkled suit. It had to be Adachi.

"You!" Yang growled. She leapt over the bar and charged at Adachi. She reared back and unleashed a punch but he side-stepped her attack, tripping her as she passed. Yang fell flat on her face as Adachi chuckled. He reached out an arm toward the rest of the team and unleashed a massive storm of lightning, hitting them before they could even draw their weapons. The current arced from his hand and coursed through Ruby, Blake and Weiss. They screamed and writhed before falling silent and still. Yang jumped back to her feet but Adachi grabbed her by the throat.

"This was a lot easier than I was expecting." Adachi said with an evil grin. Electricity coursed through his hand and into Yang. She convulsed until Adachi let her fall to the ground.

"Good work." Adam said, entering the club flanked by two White Fang thugs.

"I'll just dispose of them." Adachi said. He walked over to the bar, reached behind it, and grabbed a television screen he had placed there. He set it up on the bar. Ruby lay unconscious nearby. Adachi picked her up and roughly tossed her through the screen. One of the White Fang thugs dragged Yang over and Adachi tossed her in too. He started with Weiss, but Adam stopped him.

"Hold on." Adam said. "I'm going to have a little fun before we get rid of her. It's time to get some revenge on this Schnee bitch."

"Whatever gets you off." Adachi said with a shrug.

Blake stirred and groaned in pain. Adam noticed and with a wave directed his thugs to her. Each picked her up by and arm. They lifted her up face-to-face with Adam. "Hello Blake." Adam said. "It's been a long time."

"Adam…I…" Blake stammered.

"You betrayed the White Fang." Adam said. "Worse, you betrayed me." He directed Adachi to lift up Weiss. He picked her up by the back of the neck. "And you've been hanging around with a Schnee of all people. I thought I taught you better."

"You're a monster." Blake said.

"Humans are the monsters." Adam countered. "No offence." He said to Adachi. Adachi just smiled. "I'm going to show you what happens to those who betray the White Fang, but first, I think I'll show you what we do to Schnees."

Weiss's eyes blinked open. "What's going on?" She groaned.

"Shut her up." Adam commanded. Adachi unleashed a blast of electricity into Weiss. She screamed and shook, then fell silent. "Thank you." Adam walked over to Adachi and Weiss. "Adachi, do you have a knife?"

"Of course." Adachi replied. He handed Adam a small switchblade.

Adam opened the blade and held it to Weiss's face. "Well now, she's got quite the scar already." Adam said, pushing Weiss's hair back with the blade. "I think I'll give her one to match on the other side."

"Leave her alone!" Blake shouted.

"Now you're defending the Schnee." Adam said with disappointment. "You truly are lost. I guess I'll have to kill you after all. Don't worry though; your death will be far less painful than hers."

Suddenly, Blake wrenched free from the White Fang thugs. She grabbed Gambol Shroud, spun and fired. The round struck one of the thugs in the forehead, blowing off the top of his head in a shower of blood and brains. Blake quickly thrust the blade back and stabbed the other thug through the chest, holding his lifeless body between her and Adam and Adachi. Adachi dropped Weiss to counter the new threat, reached out his arm and launched electricity at Blake. The dead thug's body absorbed the attack as Blake charged. At the last moment she shoved the body into Adam, knocking him to the ground. Adachi punched at her, but she dove to the side, leaving a frozen decoy behind. Adachi's punch hit the decoy and his hand was frozen in place.

Blake grabbed Weiss and raced for the bar. She needed to get to cover. Adachi grunted and wrenched his hand free of the ice. He drew his revolver, leveled it at Blake and fired. The bullet slammed into her right calf, shredding flesh and muscle as it punched through. Blake screamed and tripped, dropping Weiss and slamming chest-first into the bar. Adachi aimed for a second shot.

"I want her alive!" Adam shouted, knocking Adachi's hand aside. His shot flew well wide.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Adachi shouted.

Blake only had a moment, and it was clear she could not win a fight. She looked up. The television beckoned. She lifted Weiss as best she could and tossed her through the screen. She took a deep breath and, pushing off her uninjured leg, front flipped through after her.

"You moron!" Adachi shouted. "You let them escape."

"You were going to kill her, against my orders." Adam growled.

"I was going to shoot the screen so they couldn't escape." Adachi said. "Well, it's not a total loss. They'll die in that deathtrap."

"You mean like Team JNPR?" Adam said sarcastically.

"What about them?" Adachi asked.

"They're alive you idiot." Adam said. "My contacts at the hospital said Team RWBY and Team YYRN brought them in."

"Who the hell is Team YYRN?" Adachi asked.

"I have no idea." Adam replied. "All I know is they're new around here. They showed up about the same time you did."

"YYRN?" Adachi pondered. "Oh shit. Of course."

"What?" Adam asked.

"I think I know what our problem is." Adachi answered. "Or more precisely, who our problem is."

* * *

"That wasn't so bad." Rise said. "When Glynda called us in I thought we were in for trouble."

"Do you think Ozpin really believes us?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't think it matters." Naoto replied. "He believes we're on the same side. That's what matters."

Rise's scroll beeped. She retrieved it and took a look. "It's Yang." She said as she answered the call. "Hello."

"Hello?" A man's voice said on the other end. His breathing was labored.

"Who is this?" Rise asked. "Why do you have Yang's scroll?"

"Are you the girl that was singing here?" The man asked. "Yang's friend?"

"Junior?" Rise said.

"Yeah, it's Junior." He said. He sounded like he was in pain. "You need to come to the club now."

"Why, what happened?" Rise asked with growing concern.

"I'm so sorry." Junior said. He hung up.

"We need to go to Junior's club now!" Rise said. "Something's really wrong!"

* * *

Sitting in the hospital was so boring. The bandages on her hands were annoying too. She did not even need them. Her aura was healing the burns just fine. They did not even hurt. Nora just sat there at Ren's side, waiting for him to wake up. Nora did not like the look of the bandage on his head, but it was better than watching him bleed. He would be okay. He had to be. He would wake up soon and when he did, Nora would be there. All she had to do was wait.

Jaune and Pyrrha had stopped by what seemed like hours ago. That had been exciting and really broke up the boredom. It was so nice to see them, even if Pyrrha did not look very good. At least she seemed happy. Nora looked at the clock. It had been fifteen minutes since the visit. She was hungry. The food at the hospital was terrible. She wanted Ren's pancakes. When he got better they'd make them together. All she had to do was wait.

* * *

Team YYRN entered Junior's bar, finding him sitting on a barstool and covered in blood. "I'm so sorry." He said, shaking his head and not looking at the new arrivals.

"What happened?" Yosuke asked. "Where's Team RWBY."

"I'm sorry." Junior repeated. "He was going to kill the twins if I didn't do it."

"Who was?" Naoto asked. "Do what?"

"It was Adachi." Junior said. "He found out I knew Team RWBY. He made me lure them here then he beat me up. When I came to the only thing left was Yang's scroll. That and the blood." Ominous puddles of blood stained the dancefloor.

"What did he do with them?" Rise asked.

"I don't know." Junior answered. "I was unconscious."

"Did he say anything?" Naoto asked. "Did he do anything strange while you were conscious?"

"When he came in he was carrying that screen." Junior said. A broken television lay on the bar.

"I think we know what he did then." Yosuke said. "This is bad."

"Did he say anything about us?" Naoto asked.

"No, he was only interested in Team RWBY." Junior replied. "He said the White Fang wanted them dealt with."

"So he doesn't know about us?" Rise said.

"I guess not." Junior said. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done it. I got those innocent girls killed."

"I don't think they're dead yet." Yu said. "We're going to save them."

* * *

 ***Note: Because I'm evil, I will now take a week off from posting chapters of this story. Consider this a season finale. Next week I'll be posting some one-offs that I may go back to at some point, but the week after that I'll be back to your regularly scheduled programming. Thanks for reading!**


	13. Yangry

Chapter 13

"They've been in this world before, and they can certainly defend themselves." Yosuke said as Rise scanned for Team RWBY. "I don't think we have to worry too much about them."

"Entering this world of their own free will is a far cry from being violently forced into it." Naoto countered. "We don't know what injuries they may have sustained, and it could be that the trauma they endured will aggravate this place's tendency to prey upon those who have not faced themselves."

"Naoto's right." Rise said. "They've got their own worlds here now with strong shadows."

"Let's get to saving them then." Yu said. "I think we should rescue Ruby first, she's the youngest."

"We're not going to have a choice." Rise said. "Something's changed. Maybe it was the way they entered. We can't just pick a world and go to it. Their worlds are connected to each other and we'll have to go through one to get to the next. Yang's is first."

"Well, let's do it then." Yosuke said. "There's no time to waste."

* * *

Ren slowly regained consciousness. Wherever he was, it was bright. Too bright. He blinked until his eyes focused and adjusted to the lighting. He was in the hospital. He could hear a faint beeping, no doubt some of the equipment monitoring his health. His senses were hazy, as a result of whatever medication he was on, he assumed. He wanted to sit up but did not have the strength. He felt exhausted. Ren turned his head and caught sight of Nora. She was sleeping in her chair somehow, though she was twisted in what appeared to be a painfully uncomfortable position. It seemed she was capable of falling asleep anywhere. He was happy to see her in one piece. He figured that meant the others were alright as well. That was great, but Nora was safe and that was what mattered most to him. He had given up enlightenment for her sake, and he would do it again. He wanted to wake her, to thank her for taking care of him while he was injured, to thank her for being by his side, but he was too tired. With a smile on his face, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Yang's shadow world was not what Team YYRN was expecting. Yang was energetic, happy and excitable, but her shadow world was a dark, dead forest. The group walked down a narrow path through twisted, leafless trees. It was a deeply unsettling and depressing place. After walking for some time, they arrived at a large open area. They would no doubt face a fight here. Advancing to the center of the area, they saw nothing. Though nothing was in sight, Rise could feel the shadows nearby, all around. It was surely an ambush.

Yu caught movement out of the corner of his eye, drew his sword and turned to face it. In the trees surrounding the clearing, he could see red eyes peering from the darkness. A shadow in the form of a twisted Beowolf rushed out, followed closely by several more. They poured into the clearing from all directions. With Rise in the center, Team YYRN formed a triangle, with Yu, Yosuke and Naoto each taking a third of the space. Yu fired his assault rifle into the onrushing mob of shadows, downing several. Naoto used her rifle and Yosuke his SMG, both to great effect, but the tide of shadows seemed endless. When one shadow was killed, it fell to the ground and the next simply rushed over it.

The Beowolf shadows closed to melee range and YYRN was forced to change tactics. They converted their weapons into their blade forms while Rise used her powers to boost their strength. Yu swung his blade in wide arcs, cutting down several shadows with each swing, their severed limbs dropping to the ground and liquefying. Naoto struggled to use her sword effectively. It was designed for stabbing, and that was difficult to do with enemies attacking from multiple directions. Luckily, Yosuke was able to take up some of the slack, slashing wildly with his twin blades. Still, the situation was not sustainable. The shadows just kept coming.

To buy some time, Yosuke whipped up a whirlwind around the team. The barrier of wind forced the shadows back, ripping apart any foolish enough to try to pass through. The shadows backed off as Yu and Naoto prepared a follow-up. Exhausted, Yosuke ended his attack, and the shadows came rushing back. Now splitting the field in two, Yu and Naoto each met their half of the onrushing horde. Yu reached out his hand and electricity leapt from his fingertips to the shadows then arced between them. On her side, Naoto produced a gigantic white square below the mass of shadows. The square collapsed and the shadows winked out of existence, destroyed by the power of light. Finally the shadows abated. Their much reduced numbers made the fight much more manageable. Careful shots from their weapons finished off the last stragglers, and the path ahead was open.

* * *

Yang had no idea where she was. One moment, she was in Junior's club, fighting Adachi, the next she was in some sort of forest. It was clear that she had lost her fight. She felt like a failure. First she had been humbled in her fight against Neo, now she had been soundly defeated by Adachi. She wanted so badly to protect her team and Ruby in particular, but she could not even win a simple fight. Truth be told, the encounter with Adachi was not much of a fight. Adachi had turned her aggression against her and beaten her with a single stroke.

Yang assumed she was in the shadow world. It made sense that Adachi would throw her in there. Presumably he had done the same to the others, but they were nowhere to be found. Yang felt a chill as a terrible thought entered her mind. Maybe Adachi had simply killed the others. There had been nothing to stop him from doing so. Yang felt physically ill. It only got worse when she realized where she was. Through a gap in the trees, she could see an old, dilapidated wooden structure. She had once come here in search of her mother, and almost found her end.

"You really should be more careful." Yang heard her own voice say. She knew well what that meant. Standing in the structure's doorway was her double, casually leaning against the frame. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"I take it you're my shadow." Yang sighed. "How about we skip the conversation and get this over with."

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Her shadow asked. "You're in pretty bad shape." Her shadow was right. Her brief encounter with Adachi had done substantial damage. The pain in her neck made it almost impossible to turn her head, and she felt generally weak.

"I'll take my chances." Yang said. She was not about to back down.

"You see, this is exactly what I'm talking about." Her shadow said. "You're always so aggressive. You've already seen how easy it is for an opponent to turn that around on you. How is it that you haven't learned your lesson?"

"Just shut up!" Yang growled, charged at her shadow and reared back to deliver a powerful blow. Her fist struck an invisible wall between them. It was a painful mistake that left Yang reeling.

"We're going to have a nice chat." Her shadow said. "After that, I'll be happy to kill you."

* * *

Team YYRN made their way through the twisted forest. It seemed to get darker the further they went. Before long, another large open area indicated they would be having another battle. This time the shadow was obvious. It appeared to be a large yellow dragon. The smoke spurting from its nostrils hinted at its fire-breathing capabilities.

"This should be interesting." Yosuke said. "I don't think we've ever slain a dragon before."

"There's a first time for everything." Yu said.

Naoto opened the fight by sniping at the shadow with her rifle. The bullets struck the shadow's scaly hide and ricocheted off harmlessly. A follow-up blast of fire was similarly ineffective. The attacks were quiet effective in enraging the shadow. It charged straight for the group, fire spewing from its mouth. The four dove out of the way as the shadow slid past. Yu slashed at it with his sword as it passed, but his blade bounced off without leaving a mark.

The dragon turned and raced back at the group, its fiery breath forcing them to flee. As it passed this time, Yu hit it with electricity and Yosuke hit it with wind while Naoto tried darkness. All failed and the beast turned for another attack. Naoto's light attack failed and Yu's ice was quickly melted while Yosuke's continued wind assault only fanned the flames. Rise could do little but power up the others and try to keep from getting incinerated.

The shadow's repeated attacks were taking their toll. The group's auras and strength were waning. "I can't believe we're getting our asses kicked by a fairytale dragon." Yosuke groaned.

"That gives me an idea." Rise announced. "In fairytales, the dragon's weak spot is its soft underbelly. If one of us can get close enough, maybe it can be defeated that way."

"I'll give it a try." Yu said. "Yosuke and Naoto, I need you to use wind to push the flames back in the shadow's face. Rise, I need you to boost my speed and defense." They nodded and readied for the attack.

The shadow circled around for another assault but Team YYRN was ready. From directly in front of the shadow, Yosuke and Naoto blasted wind at it. Its fiery breath was blown back into the shadow's face, not injuring it but temporarily blinding the beast. It had the added effect of slowing it down. Yu glowed as Rise supported him with the requested boosts and he charged in. Running straight at the dragon shadow he raced through the wall of flames at its front. He drew his blade and slashed at the beast's belly as he passed beneath it. His blade scythed through the shadow with little resistance and a blast of black liquid sprayed from the gaping wound. The shadow roared in pain and fell to the ground writhing. Yu ran up its back to its neck, and with a single powerful swing of his blade, severed the shadow's head. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"Way to go Prince Charming!" Rise yelled. "My hero."

"I've got to admit, even I'm impressed." Yosuke added.

* * *

"You say you want to protect Ruby, to always be there to support her, but you don't do a very good job of either." Yang's shadow said. "In a fight, she's usually the one protecting you. When she needs your help, she's lucky if you're still conscious. When it comes to just being there for her, you don't do a good job of that either. You'd rather run off and have a good time. She can be such a drag."

"I do everything I can to be there for her." Yang protested. "I still have to live my own life though."

"Of course you do." Her shadow said. "You're also quite the hypocrite. You tell Blake to take it easy, to rest, to make sure she doesn't get herself killed. You're the one who needs to heed that advice. You're the one most likely to run off and get killed. You're beyond reckless."

"I'm aggressive but I don't take stupid risks." Yang said. She could not help but feel that her shadow was right, but she was not about to admit that.

"This place is a monument to your stupid risks!" Her shadow laughed. "If it wasn't for the timely intervention of your uncle, you and Ruby would have been slaughtered. What you did at this place was inconceivably foolish. You recognize that and yet you fail to correct your behavior. How long before you do something dumb that gets Ruby killed. You want to protect her, but you're the danger. How many times would you have been killed, would Ruby have been killed, if not for pure blind luck?"

"It's not…" Yang started. "I don't…" She was lost for words. Her eyes teared up. She was losing control of her emotions, and not in a way that would make her stronger.

"Face it, everyone would be better off without you." Her shadow said.

"Leave her alone!" Rise shouted as Team YYRN raced in to protect Yang.

The shadow rolled its eyes. Yang just stood there, tears rolling down her cheek. "Why did you come for me?" Yang asked. "You should have gone for the others first. Or are they already dead?"

"The others are alive." Naoto said. "The way this world is laid out forced us to come here first."

"At least Ruby's okay." Yang said.

"She won't survive long in this world." The shadow hissed. It slammed Yang in the face with a tremendous right hook. Yang was sent flying. She crashed through the wooden wall of the structure and disappeared inside. "Neither will you!" The shadow shouted at Team YYRN. To their surprise, the shadow did not transform into some twisted monster, it retained Yang's appearance.

The shadow charged at the group, taking aim at Rise. She ducked under the shadow's punch and attempted to jab her spear into it. The shadow kicked the spear away then punched Rise in the chest. Rise was sent skidding across the floor on her back by the force of the punch. Yosuke swung his twin blades at the shadow, but it caught them on either gauntlet. The shadow pushed Yosuke's arms aside before upper-cutting him in the jar. He staggered back and the shadow followed up by hitting him with a shoulder block that knocked him off his feet.

Yu fired on the shadow with his assault rifle, constantly backing up to keep the shadow at a safe distance. Several bullets struck their target, but they only seemed to make the shadow annoyed. It charged at him through the hail of gunfire, forcing Yu to dive-roll off to the side. As he rolled back to his feet, Yu converted his weapon into its sword form. As soon as he was up the shadow was upon him. He struggled to dodge its attacks as the shadow unleashed a flurry of punches. Wild slashes from his sword were easily deflected and the shadow continued to assail him.

Naoto attacked the shadow from the flank, stabbing at it with her blade. Unfortunately, it seemed to have no trouble fighting them both at the same time. The shadow grabbed Yu by the elbow and wrenched him between itself and Naoto, forcing her to stop attacking. Still holding onto Yu, the shadow punched him hard in the face. He wobbled dizzily and the shadow slammed its fist into his chest. He tumbled into Naoto, knocking both to the ground. The shadow charged to finish them off, but was knocked off its feet by a blast of wind from Yosuke, his own strength boosted by Rise.

The shadow scrambled to its feet as Yosuke unleashed wind attack after wind attack. The shadow braced itself and inexorably advanced toward him. Finally close enough, it lunged forward and punched him in the temple. A second shot to the other side of his head knocked him out cold. Rise tried to attack with her spear, but the shadow knocked it aside, pushing Rise off balance. The shadow grabbed her by the hair and slammed Rise's head into its knee. She fell to the ground in a heap. Naoto was back on her feet, blasting the shadow with fire. It smiled and ran at her, slamming her to the ground and ending up sitting astride her. It repeatedly punched her in the head as she desperately tried to block until Yu tackled the shadow off of her.

Yu and the shadow rolled across the ground, each struggling to gain the upper hand. The shadow won. With its knee pressed painfully into Yu's gun, the shadow pinned him to the ground. It grabbed one of his hands, holding it away to prevent him from using it to block, and proceeded to rain down blows to Yu's head. He struggled to block with his other hand but it was a losing battle. The shadow as just too strong and too skilled. He could feel his consciousness slipping away.

There was a sudden flash of yellow and the shadow was gone. Yu looked to his side and saw Yang, the real one, pinning the shadow to the ground in much the same way it had done to him. Her hair burned and her eyes glowed a terrifying red. The shadow face displayed an expression of shock. "I will protect everyone!" Yang screamed as she repeatedly slammed her fists into the shadow's face. Her Ember Celica-enhanced blows doing visible damage with every strike. "I won't get everyone killed!" The shadow's skull finally gave way under the onslaught and its head was smashed into a black paste. Her rage burning, Yang did not stop punching, even after the shadow began to melt away.

Yu stumbled over to Yang, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her back. "It's alright." He said, smiling gently. Yang looked up at him and her rage faded. Yu helped Yang to her feet. The rest of Team YYRN was regaining consciousness.

"Let's go rescue the others." Yang said impatiently.

"We will, tomorrow." Yu said firmly.

"But what if…" Yang started.

"But nothing." Yu cut her off. "Do you think we're in any shape to go now?" His own face was bruised, and Yang's was bloodied. The rest of YYRN were just doing their best to stand. "If we fail, who will save them?"

Yang sighed and looked at her feet, frowning. "You're right." She admitted. She took a deep breath and looked up, a new resolve on her face. "I'll be ready."


	14. Cold As Weiss

Chapter 14

"I'm not going to the hospital." Yang said.

"You should at least get checked out." Rise urged. "You've been through a lot."

"I'm sore but I'm fine." Yang said. "I'm not going to waste my time at the hospital when Ruby's still in danger." She slammed her fist down on the table. "I'll fight you on this."

"Fine." Rise sighed. "Just don't push yourself too hard."

"Don't worry, I know my limits." Yang assured her.

* * *

Pyrrha looked over to see if Ren was awake. Now that they were on the road to recovery, they had been moved to the same room. Ren was staring at the ceiling like he usually was, no doubt lost in thought. Ren was perfectly happy to sit there in silence, but Pyrrha was getting bored. She still had a terrible headache and felt very weak, but she was getting restless. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." Ren said. In truth he felt much the same way Pyrrha did.

"That's good." Pyrrha said awkwardly. Getting more than a few words out of Ren was always tough. "Do you mind talking about that…other world?" Ren shrugged. Pyrrha decided that was as close to a yes as she was likely to get. "When I was unconscious, I guess I was dreaming, but a copy of me tried to convince me to kill myself. Did anything like that happen to you?"

"Something like that." Ren replied.

"It said I would be alone forever, so I might as well just end it." Pyrrha continued. "What was it like for you?"

"I was offered enlightenment in return for not regaining consciousness." Ren said. "I decided enlightenment wasn't worth it without someone to share it with."

"Have anyone in particular in mind?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not really." Ren lied. "I suppose you came back for Jaune."

"I came back for me." Pyrrha said. "I've got to come to terms with the fact that Jaune may never come around."

"He's slow but I'm sure he'll get there." Ren said with uncharacteristic candidness.

"I'm glad Jaune and Nora went home to get some rest." Pyrrha said. "I'm sure they were exhausted. I guess they don't have to worry about either of us being alone now that we're in the same room."

"There's something they're not telling us." Ren said out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked. "Something that happened in that other world?"

"No, though they're not talking about that either." Ren answered. "Last night Nora got a call on her scroll. The look on her face…she was worried. It passed in a moment and she wouldn't talk about it, but something definitely happened."

"I'll call Jaune and ask." Pyrrha said as she turned to the table beside her hospital bed, looking for her scroll. It was not there. "I'm sure I put it there last night."

"I suspect Jaune took it." Ren said. "Nora took mine. Whatever happened, they don't want us finding out. I guess they think it'll hurt our recovery."

"It must be bad then." Pyrrha observed. Ren nodded with a grim look on his face.

* * *

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ozpin asked. He was disturbed to hear about Team RWBY's situation, but was confident YYRN could save the rest of them.

"I'd ask for a few days off from classes, but I don't want to seem like I'm taking advantage of the situation." Yu replied.

"That's not a problem." Ozpin said. "Is there anything I can _physically_ do to help?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to put more people in danger." Yu answered. "Just work with the authorities to find Adachi. We need to keep him from taking more victims."

"I'll coordinate with General Ironwood, but if Adachi's as intelligent as you say he'll be very difficult to catch." Ozpin said.

"Just make it public that you're looking." Yu advised. "If he reacts anything like he did the last time, he'll go to ground. You might want to publicize the reappearance of his victims. Whoever he's working for will be angry with his failure. We need to isolate him. When he's desperate he takes risks and makes mistakes."

"I'll see what I can do." Ozpin said. He shook Yu's hand and Yu showed himself out. Internally it was tearing Ozpin up that he could not do more. The students were his responsibility, and that responsibility weighed heavily on his mind and his heart.

* * *

"Let me guess, Weiss' world." Yang said as she and Team YYRN approached what appeared to be a towering mansion.

"Good call." Yosuke said. "What gave it away?" He asked sarcastically.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Rise asked Yang. "It's no good if you end up hurting yourself."

"I told you, I'm fine." Yang replied. She cracked her knuckles and stomped toward Weiss' world.

Inside, the mansion had some similarities to Nora's castle. It was just as richly decorated and just as imposing. This place was much less insane however. Where Nora's world was bright and loud, this place was subdued and elegant. Fine carved designs lined the walls and the floor was covered by a simple but attractive geometric mosaic. Gilded chandeliers hung from the ceiling, filling the hallways with light. Eventually, the group arrived at a pair of large, heavy-looking wooden doors. A fight surely awaited them.

The group burst through the doors and into what appeared to be a spacious ballroom. The shadows stood in the center. There were five. Though human in shape, they were much more animalistic in appearance. Their heads resembled caricatures of wolves, snarling with big sharp teeth. Their hands were replaced with claws, but they held rapiers. The blades looked delicate but razor sharp. The shadows bore the uniform of the White Fang, with the exception of the mask which was absent.

True to form, Yang charged straight in. She ran at the nearest shadow, and the shadow reacted by charging at her. It thrust its blade forward and Yang tried to dodge. She was too slow. Only her aura prevented her from being seriously hurt as the blade slid across her abdomen. She punched the shadow's rapier aside and kicked it in the shin. The shadow fell to a knee and as it came down Yang met its chin with an Ember Celica-boosted uppercut. It was powerful enough to lift shadow off the ground before it slammed down on its back. Yang charged the downed shadow but was blind-sided by another. It slammed the pommel of its sword into the side of her head but she easily absorbed the glancing blow.

Yang turned to face the new threat, grabbed the shadow by the arm, and flipped it to the ground with a judo-like throw. Still holding its blade arm to prevent a counter attack, she repeatedly pounded it in the face with her fist until its skull collapsed under the assault. The shadow melted and evaporated away. Yang caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She tried to react, but it was already too late. She felt a burning pain on her side and looked down to see a blade passing cleanly through her. The shadow she had earlier knocked down was back in the fight. Luckily, it had only managed to catch the edge of her torso, just a flesh wound, but it was terribly painful. It made her angry.

Meanwhile, Team YYRN battled the three other shadows. They were immune to the team's elemental attacks and were clearly dangerous in close range. Yu clearly felt most confident in his swordsmanship. He rushed toward a shadow and deflected its opening lunge. He slashed at it, but it deftly avoided his strike, leaving Yu overextended and off balance. The shadow readied a counter-attack but suddenly stumbled back. Yu glanced over his shoulder to see Naoto, her rifle leveled at the shadow. She let off a series of shots, doing serious damage. That gave Yu the opening he needed and he sliced the stunned shadow in two with a single stroke, leaving it to melt and evaporate away.

Rise's laser did little damage to the shadow, but it did blind it. She kept the beam focused on the monster's face as Yosuke moved in. He grabbed the shadow's blade arm and twisted until he heard a snap. The sword dropped from its hand and it groaned in pain. He sunk one of his blades into the side of the shadow's neck and stabbed his other into its gut. The shadow went limp, melted and evaporated. He was immediately set upon by another. It wrapped its arm around his throat and squeezed tightly as he struggled. Rise could not use her laser for fear of hitting Yosuke. Fortunately, Yu was finished with his shadow. He hacked at the shadow's shoulder until it released Yosuke. With him clear, Team YYRN opened up with their guns until the shadow was full of holes. It melted and evaporated away.

Yang threw an elbow backward, catching the offending shadow in the face as her eyes turned red and her hair became engulfed in flames. Holding onto the blade, she elbowed the shadow over and over until it let go and fell backward. Reaching back, she pulled the sword from her side. With a shout of rage she snapped the weapon in two and threw it to the ground. The shadow backed away in fear as Yang inexorably advanced. The shadow backed itself into a wall. Yang ran the last few steps, hitting the shadow in the face with all her might. Its head exploded in a spray of black liquid and the headless body slid to the ground where it melted and evaporated away. The flames in her hair faded and her eyes returned to their usual lilac.

"See, I told you I'm alright." Yang said as she rejoined Team YYRN.

"You're bleeding pretty badly." Yosuke pointed out.

"It's just a scratch." Yang said, shrugging it off. "My aura's already healing it."

"Just be careful, alright?" Rise implored. Yang rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement.

* * *

Weiss woke up in terrible pain. She lay on her side in the fetal position, hoping against hope that the pain would stop. She remembered Adachi and then nothing. Just darkness, then she was here. Where here was exactly was another question entirely. She knew she was at the foot of a set of stairs. A white carpet ran up the center of the wooden staircase. It looked familiar, but she could not place it. The pain stole her attention.

"Oh Weiss, what have you gone and done now?" A familiar voice said from the top of the stairs. Weiss groaned with the realization that she knew the voice and therefore where she was. It was her father. She was home. Except she was not. Her home buzzed with activity night and day, this place was dead. No, she was in the shadow world, right? "I'm very disappointed in you Weiss." That sounded like her father.

Weiss forced herself to sit up. She faced her 'father' who was walking down the staircase. He looked very annoyed. "What do you want?" She asked.

"Is that any way to greet your father?" He countered. "I thought I raised you better. I guess not. It seems you're just a never-ending disappointment."

* * *

After traversing more elegantly decorated corridors, Yang and Team YYRN arrived at another set of large doors. They burst through, ready to face the shadow inside. This time they faced a single gigantic shadow. This giant, twenty feet tall, human in shape and again wearing the uniform of the White Fang, had a mannequin-like appearance and wielded a colossal chainsaw.

"It seems like Weiss is really obsessed with the White Fang." Naoto observed.

"Her family has historically been the focus of their attacks." Yang explained. "Apparently she lost a lot of friends and relatives. She also fought a guy who looked a bit like this not too long ago."

"I take it she beat him?" Yosuke asked.

"Nope." Yang replied. "She's lucky to be alive."

"We should probably not get close to this one." Rise warned.

The shadow had other ideas. As soon as it spotted the group it charged. They split, rushing along the perimeter of the room to avoid being trapped by the hulking shadow. Along one side of the room Naoto launched fire at the shadow while Yang hit it with long distance blasts from Ember Celica. On the other Yu fired electricity and Yosuke wind while Rise boosted their speed, allowing them to put distance between them and the shadow. The shadow chose to attack the pair rather than the trio. It turned and lunged at Naoto and Yang, swinging its chainsaw ahead of it in an arc of death. Naoto dropped to the ground as the chainsaw passed over her. Yang jumped up and landed on the weapon. She ran up the chainsaw and launched herself at the shadow's head.

Yang hit the shadow in the side of the head, the combination of her punch and a blast from Ember Celica stunning the monster. She continued with a flurry of punches as the shadow struggled to respond. Finally it managed to grab her with its free hand. It threw her across the room and she slammed into the wall before dropping to the ground near Yu and his group. A bit wobbly, Yang struggled to her feet. Naoto was alone as the shadow cornered her. Its massive reach effectively cut off the rest of the room. She fired a few shots from her rifle and unleashed more fire but the shadow was not deterred.

"Boost my speed and give me a tailwind." Yu ordered. Rise and Yosuke complied as he charged toward the shadow with blinding alacrity. He jumped and slashed at the shadow's groin. The shadow groaned in pain. Yosuke and Yang charged in as well while Yu slid into position to hack at the shadow's legs. Yang and Yosuke soon joined the assault and got the shadow down to its knees. With a thunderous roar the shadow swung its chainsaw around in a circular attack. Its assailants were inside the effective range. Yang and Yosuke were knocked down by its arms but Yu was able to jump over the swing. At the peak of his jump he jabbed his sword into the shadow's neck. The shadow thrashed, forcing the group back. Naoto, able to escape the corner, rejoined the rest of the group as they hit the shadow with their long-range attacks. With Rise boosting their power, Naoto's fire, Yosuke's wind, Yu's electricity and Yang's Ember Celica tore the shadow apart. As it screamed in agony it melted and evaporated away.

* * *

"I find it hard to believe just how much of a failure you've turned out to be." Weiss' 'father' said. "You had every advantage and still, here we are."

"I know you're my shadow." Weiss said. "Can we just skip the charade?"

The shadow ignored her. "Just look at your team." It continued. "You couldn't even be their leader. And who is? A child of all people, and not a very smart one at that. Then there's your leader's sister, that dumb blond whore. It's unbecoming of a Schnee to be slumming around with such degenerates."

"Just stop it, they're good people." Weiss protested. "Much better than you."

"I suppose you think Blake is a good person too." The shadow pressed on. "A Schnee, teamed up with a filthy Faunus, how disappointing. You know they're inferior beasts and yet you act like friends. Do you really think she can ever be your friend? She's a member of the White Fang! She can say she's no longer with them, but you know how the Faunus lie. She's just waiting to put a knife in your back. None of them can be trusted, yet you sleep in the same room. How can you be so careless, so foolish?!"

"Just stop it!" Weiss shouted. "I've had enough of this!"

"Well I've had enough of you." The shadow said. "All those years, all that money, all that attention, wasted. It would have been better spent on your sister."

"Shut up!" Weiss screamed. She drew Myrtenaster and stabbed at the shadow. The shadow side-stepped the attack, grabbed her arm and slammed her to the ground. Already in pain, the slam was excruciating.

"You're a disgrace to the Schnee name." The shadow hissed. "There is only one recourse. You must be destroyed."

Yang and Team YYRN burst in. "Back off!" Yosuke shouted.

"About time you showed up." Weiss grumbled.

"I'll deal with you later." The shadow said to Weiss. It waved its hand over her and encased her in a prison of ice. Her arms and legs were encased and in her injured state she was unable to break free. The shadow stepped back and itself became encased in a cocoon of ice. After a moment the cocoon shattered, sending shards flying in all directions. The group had to dive for cover to avoid being hit. The shadow had drastically altered its appearance. It was now a thirty foot tall knight made of ice, wielding a gigantic frozen halberd.

"I'd say hit it with fire but I don't think it'll be that easy." Rise said.

"We may as well try." Yu said.


	15. All Aboard

Chapter 15

Yang and Team YYRN faced down the colossal icy knight. The shadow stared back. The logical thing was to hit it with was fire. Yang loaded incendiary rounds into Ember Celica and prepared to attack. Naoto led off, launching a stream of fire at the shadow's chest. The shadow groaned as water trickled down from the impact point where the fire was melting through its frozen armor. Naoto was clearly the primary threat and the shadow acted accordingly. It slammed the butt end of its halberd down on the floor, shaking the ground enough to knock Naoto off balance. With the attack ceased, the shadow reached out a hand toward her and unleashed a blast of ice. Before Naoto could react she was encased in ice, frozen and locked in place.

Yang was ready. She charged at the shadow, firing as she went. The impacts from her shots left the surface of the shadow pitted where they melted some of the ice away. The shadow swung its blade around but Yang easily jumped over it, continuing toward her adversary. She ran up to its leg and punched it as hard as she could. The shadow did not budge, despite the rather sizable chunk that had been melted away. It simply flicked its massive leg forward and Yang went flying. She recovered mid-air and raced back toward the shadow as soon as she hit the ground. This time the shadow used a vertical strike from its halberd, slamming it down at Yang. She rolled aside as the icy blade smashed into the ground. Yang leapt toward the shadow's face, but it caught her with its free hand. In an instant it encased her in ice before tossing her aside.

Yu was the only one left who was capable of wielding fire. The shadow noticed and attacked him non-stop. He could not get off a single blast before the shadow fired ice in his direction, forcing him to move. Even a speed boost from Rise was of little use in escaping the onslaught and Yosuke's bullets seemed to have no effect on the beast. Yu could finally stand no more. He stopped and blasted fire at the shadow as it blasted ice at him. The streams met between them, the clash of fire and ice creating a gigantic and blinding cloud of steam that grew as the combatants persisted. Yu fired blindly into the cloud, hoping his attack would win out. It did, to a degree. Suddenly, the shadow came rushing out of the cloud, heading straight for him. There was no time to avoid its attack as the shadow swept its massive halberd in an arc in front of it. The blade caught Yu in the midsection and only his aura prevented him from being sliced in half. As it was the hit sent him tumbling through the air. After a short flight, he slammed into the wall and fell to the floor with a thud. He did not get up.

With the shadow distracted, Rise managed to get in the most effective shot yet. Firing her laser skillfully, she managed to slice the shadow's halberd in two. It roared in rage as it threw the useless halves aside. The halves shattered on the ground as the shadow angrily charged at her. By the time it reached her firing position, she was long gone. The shadow slid to a stop, its icy boots getting little grip. That gave Yosuke an idea. He put everything he had into a blast of wind. The wind sent the shadow into an ever accelerating slide that slammed it hard into the wall. It staggered away, as significant chunks of ice tumbled off its body. The shadow's arm was cracked badly at the elbow. Shockingly, it ripped the arm off and threw it at Yosuke. He tried to avoid the flying iceberg but could not. It smashed into him, pushed him along the floor as it slid, and crashed into Rise as well, pinning both of them to the wall as it came to rest. The shadow stomped toward them, intent on finishing them off.

Something had to be done. Weiss felt so helpless. All she could do was watch, imprisoned in ice, as her shadow beat the life out of her friends. She struggled against the ice holding her in place. She was in so much pain. With a scream she wrenched her left arm free. These were the people she cared about. She could not let them down. With all of her might she tugged her right arm out of the ice. The skin on both arms was bloody and chewed up from being dragged along the jagged ice, but the cold deadened the pain. Only Myrtenaster's hilt was free of the ice, but that was enough. She grabbed hold of the weapon, focused, and produced a blast of fire that was enough to free it. She now turned it on what remained of her icy prison and melted it away. She stood and almost fell, her strength ebbing and her balance failing. She pointed her sword at the shadow, took a deep breath, and launched a continuous stream of fire into the center of its back. The shadow groaned as the fiery lance pierced its torso, the heat melting away the surrounding ice until the entire thing collapsed under its own weight. Chunks of ice crashed to the ground and shattered before melting into a black goo and evaporating away. Completely spent, Weiss collapsed.

Moments later, Yang was free. Her own flame had finally managed to melt through the ice that had ensnared her. It was a simple matter to free the others. Yosuke and Rise were mostly unhurt but very happy to be out from under the giant chunk of ice that had pinned them to the wall. Naoto was borderline hypothermic but otherwise alright. With a little help from Rise, Yu regained consciousness, hobbled only by a lingering soreness. Weiss' condition was altogether harder to discern. She lay there on the floor, hyperventilating, just staring at the ceiling.

Yosuke rushed to Weiss and knelt by her side. "Weiss, are you okay?" He asked.

"I thought we agreed you'd never speak to me again." Weiss said weakly.

"She's fine." Yosuke said, shrugging his shoulders. "Yang, I guess you should take it from here." He stood and walked away, knowing what sort of abuse Weiss was capable of delivering and wanting none of it.

Yang sat beside Weiss. "We didn't get to see much of you and your shadow's conversation, but if it was as rough as mine I'm sure you've got a lot on your mind." She said. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Not really." Weiss sighed. "My father, the Faunus, the White Fang, Blake, you've heard it all before. It doesn't really warrant repeating."

"In that case I think we should get out of here." Yang said as she stood. "So, where are we headed, the dorm or the hospital?"

"The pain I'm feeling says hospital, but my heart says dorm." Weiss replied. She still sounded terribly weak. "Where are Ruby and Blake?"

"Still in here somewhere." Rise answered. "We'll be coming back tomorrow for Blake. Her world is next in line."

"I'm definitely not going to the hospital then." Weiss declared. "That'd only stop me from coming with you."

"Alright then, dorm it is." Yang said. She grabbed Weiss under the arms. "Up you go." Yang lifted Weiss up and tossed her over her shoulder.

"Put me down you idiot!" Weiss protested. She flailed feebly before giving in. "Just don't tell anyone about this."

* * *

"Jaune, please tell us." Pyrrha begged from her hospital bed. In the bed beside her Ren seemed aloof but secretly hoped Jaune would relent. He wanted to know what Jaune and Nora were hiding just as much as Pyrrha did. Ren knew there was no point in asking Nora as she would not give up nearly as easily as Jaune would.

"I shouldn't." Jaune said. "I promised Team YYRN I wouldn't."

"If you're worried about it slowing our recovery, it doesn't matter." Pyrrha said. "We're so worried not knowing, it's just as bad." Nora gave Ren a concerned look and he nodded to indicate his agreement with Pyrrha.

Nora walked over to Jaune and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him out of the room. Pyrrha and Ren could hear them whispering to each other but could not make out what they were saying. Jaune returned with a heavy sigh. "I guess there's no point then." He said. "What happened was…uh…how should I…uh…"

"Team RWBY went missing like we did." Nora blurted out, much to the surprise of Pyrrha and Ren. "Adachi attacked them too."

"Team YYRN didn't want you guys to be worried." Jaune said. "They wanted you to focus on getting better."

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked. "Are they alright?"

"Yang and Weiss are safe now." Nora replied. "They were a little beat up but nothing like you two. They didn't even come to the hospital."

"The two of them and Team YYRN are working on rescuing Blake and Ruby." Jaune said. "We offered to go along but they want us to stay here with you guys."

Remembering what she had gone through, Pyrrha was on the verge of tears. If what Team RWBY faced was in any way similar, it would be incredibly painful, both physically and psychologically. Pyrrha would not wish that ordeal on her enemies. Pyrrha could see in Jaune and Nora's eyes that they felt the same but were doing their best to hide it. They wanted to instill confidence in their injured teammates but the anxiety was clear enough.

* * *

"Weiss, you're limping." Rise said. Together with Yang and the rest of Team YYRN, they were on their way to Blake's shadow world. "You should really head back and rest more."

"I'm not limping." Weiss protested. She was lying. "Do you know how hard it is to walk over rough terrain in heels?"

"If she says she's alright, she's alright." Yang said.

They approached Blake's world. Its outward appearance was that of a train, parked on tracks that ran through an impossibly dense forest. "All aboard." Yosuke said. He hopped up into the doorway that lead to one of the cars and reached out his hand to help Weiss up. She ignored him and climbed up on her own, though her injury and lack of height made it somewhat difficult. The others followed closely, already prepared for a fight as they entered the train car.

The train car was full of crates stacked floor to ceiling that lined both sides of a central corridor. They bore the Schnee Dust Company logo. "What's up with the Schnee logos?" Yang asked. "I thought we already dealt with Weiss' world."

"Blake is definitely the one in here." Rise confirmed. She pointed in the general direction of where she sensed Blake. "Weiss, do you have any idea…"

Before Rise could finish her question, the train lurched forward, throwing the group to the ground. After accelerating violently for a few seconds, the speed leveled out and they were able to stand again. Somehow the cargo seemed unaffected by the sudden movement. The group carefully moved down the corridor to the end of the train car.

Yu slid the door open. Looking down at the tracks as they flew past, he could tell they were going incredibly fast. This being the shadow world, it was hard to tell if the motion was real or an illusion, but it was not worth finding out the hard way. "Watch your step." He warned. He carefully stretched out his leg to the next car, seating it on the ledge just below the door. He slid it open and jumped through, soon followed by the others.

Upon entering the train car, it became immediately apparent that a fight was in store. Surprisingly, this car bore little resemblance to the one before it, and indeed its interior bore no resemblance to its exterior. It was vaguely train car shaped and had the expected décor, but far too large, by a factor of at least five. Such an arena surely held enemies. They were not difficult to discern. A large group of shadows stood across the room, taking the guise of Atlesian Knights. They did not look quite right, more like an artist's interpretation of the actual robots. They were, however, every bit as deadly.

As soon as the shadows spotted the intruders, they opened up with the guns built into their arms. There was no cover to use to hide from the withering fire. Bullets slammed into the group's auras as the shadows persisted in their onslaught. Thinking quickly, Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and used her glyphs to create a wall of ice between the shadows and the group. She had to continually add more ice as the shadows' bullets chipped away at it. Stepping out from behind the wall would be suicidal, but something had to be done to neutralize the shadows.

As the shadows slowly closed in, Yu and Naoto launched streams of fire over the top of the ice wall. Yosuke used wind to direct the fire down at the shadows and they were soon entirely engulfed in flames. It did not even slow them down. The shadows marched through the fire, still shooting. "Well, I'm out of ideas." Yosuke said. "Maybe a retreat is in order."

"The door's locked." Rise reported. "We've got to fight them."

The shadows were now only feet from the protective ice wall. Surprisingly, some of them stopped shooting. The terrible reason soon became clear. The guns in their arms retracted and were replaced by flamethrowers. They burned away at the barrier while those behind kept shooting. The barrier rapidly began to shrink. Naoto joined in with her ice abilities to try to prop up the wall but it was a losing battle. Soon the group would be without protection. Water began to pool on the floor as more and more protective ice was melted away.

"Yosuke, push the water away." Yu ordered with a calm that was inappropriate for the situation but entirely in keeping with his personality.

"Uh, okay." Yosuke said. He blasted wind at the pooling water, blowing it toward the shadows until it formed sizable puddled beneath their feet. "I assume you've got a…" Yosuke started, but Yu was already moving.

"Everybody back off!" Yu commanded. The group wisely followed his instruction as he leapt atop what remained of the ice wall. Fire and bullets deflected off his aura as his hands charged with electricity. All at once he released the built up charge into the shadows and the water beneath them. With the help of the water, electricity penetrated every shadow. They spasemed as electricity overcame them, before they finally exploded in a spectacular conflagration. What remained of the shadows melted and evaporated away.

"You should really let us know before you do something insane like that." Naoto said as Yu returned to the group.

"I thought we were all on the same page." Yu said. "Oh well."

* * *

Blake woke up in a dark place. At some point between entering the shadow world and now she had apparently lost consciousness. She felt pain across her whole body, but her calf was the main focus. The jagged wound left behind as Adachi's bullet had torn through her leg was already starting to heal thanks to her aura, but the wound still oozed blood and provided a disturbing window to the inner workings of her leg. She took off her bow and used it to dress the wound as best she could. She winced as she pulled it tight and tied it in place.

With that out of the way, there was more important business to attend to. Blake had to find the others. In the dim light of her current location, it was hard to see anything, but it was clear that the rest of her team was not with her. She hoped they were alright, but there was no way to know. She would need to find a way out. She located a door, but it was locked. The more she looked around, the more Blake felt she had been here before. There were some crates piled in the corner with writing on them, but it was difficult to make out. She approached and looked closely. 'Schnee Dust Company' and its accompanying logo was printed on the crates. A chill ran down her spine when she realized where she was. Until now she had ignored the metallic clanking sounds and the gentle swaying of the room. She was on a train. The train she had attacked with Adam. It was a special hell just for her.

"Hello Blake." Adam said. Blake drew her weapon and jumped to readiness, suppressing a scream as she put weight on her injured leg, and turned to face Adam. Adam sat on a crate across the train car with a sly smile on his face. "You remember this place." He said. "We had a really good time here. Those were the good old days, just you and me, fighting for the Faunus."

"You're not really Adam are you?" Blake asked. His demeanor was so different from the last time she had seen him at Junior's club.

"It doesn't matter." Adam replied. "What matters is that you betrayed the White Fang. Worse, you betrayed me. We were a team. I taught you everything you know. Then you betrayed me."

"I did what was right." Blake countered.

"You chickened out." Adam shot back. "As soon as things got bloody, as soon as they got real, it was too much for you to handle. Instead you ran away. You're a coward, plain and simple."

"There's a difference between fighting for freedom and murder." Blake said through gritted teeth. "I'd rather be a coward than a monster like you."

Adam laughed. "Oh, you're every bit the monster."


	16. HeartBlake

Chapter 16

After passing through several relatively normal train cars, Team YYRN, Yang and Weiss arrived at another absurdly large one. There was obviously a shadow to fight, Rise could sense it, but it was nowhere to be seen. They advanced warily, expecting an ambush at any moment. They did not have to wait long. Accompanied by the screeching and grinding of joints in desperate need of lubrication, a robotic shadow dropped from the ceiling. It looked similar to a Spider Droid but was slightly larger. It immediately scattered the group with a series of shots from its arm and shoulder-mounted cannons.

After the initial attack, Yu found himself behind the shadow. He charged up to it, firing lightning all the way. In melee range he slashed at it with his blade repeatedly, his strikes drawing showers of sparks but doing no apparent damage. He persisted with his electric attacks, but they too did nothing. The shadow spun around rapidly, swinging one of its legs out and into Yu's midsection. He tumbled backward and slid to a stop on his back. The shadow targeted him and fired one its cannons. A wall of ice shot up in front of Yu, shattering as the cannon blast struck it. Weiss swept in, sliding forward on her glyphs.

With Weiss now the most immediate threat, the shadow turned its attention to her, firing several cannon shots that she easily dodged. She cycled Myrtenaster and launched a line of fire at the shadow. Flames surrounded the shadow but it kept firing. Weiss leapt over the shadow, and catching a glyph at the peak of her jump, launched herself Myrtenaster-first into the monster. Her blade glanced off the shadow without leaving a scratch and she slammed into the ground. The shadow reared up on two legs, slamming them down at Weiss.

Yang was there in a flash, punching the shadow's legs aside as Weiss scrambled to safety. Now behind the shadow, Yang unleashed a flurry of explosive punches into its back. The shadow jerked and stumbled under the force of the blows. Recovering quickly, the shadow spun around. Yang ducked one outstretched leg but was hit in the face by the second. She flipped through the air and slammed into the wall as the shadow charged at her. Yosuke hit the shadow with wind from the side, knocking it off balance. It struggled to keep its footing but flipped over and skidded across the floor in a shower of sparks.

"Now!" Rise shouted. "Everyone attack!" The group charged in, furiously assailing the shadow with their weapons. It groaned and screeched under the assault but sprung back to its feet. It spun around with incredible speed, forcing the group to retreat, lest they catch a leg to the face. Free of the group, the shadow skittered across the floor to an empty corner of the area. Its cannons fused into one gigantic weapon that glowed and whined as it charged up. The cannon fired, launching a slow but huge projectile at the group. Before reaching them, it split into multiple explosive warheads, each tracking toward one of them.

Naoto concentrated and thrust her fist upward. Spectral shields appeared before each member of the group, absorbing the shadow's attack. Naoto wobbled and dropped to a knee, exhausted. The shadow began charging its cannon again.

Weiss rushed in front of the group. "Fire at the cannon through my glyph." Weiss ordered as she produced a floating white circle before her. The other complied, emptying their guns at the shadow. On impact, their bullets exploded into balls of ice that stuck to the shadow, plugging up its weapon. The shadow fired anyway, but could not break through. The massive projectile exploded inside the shadow's chest, blowing the entire beast to pieces. The pieces melted and evaporated away.

* * *

"You're a criminal and a murderer just like me." Blake's shadow said. Even though she knew it was just a cheap copy, she could not help but think of it as Adam. "You haven't changed one bit since we worked together. You killed two Faunus in cold blood just before you came here."

"Cold blood?!" Blake shouted. "Self-defense! I wouldn't have laid a hand on them if they weren't working with you…with Adam…to torture Weiss and kill me. I did what I had to."

"Keep telling yourself that." The shadow said. "I see the bloodlust in you. The hatred, the rage, the evil, it's all there. I trained you well, but your cowardice ruined everything. All you do is run away. You even ran to get here. You could have killed me in the club. You had the jump on me. But you didn't have the guts."

"I'm done running." Blake growled. There was a commotion at the door as Team YYRN, Weiss and Yang burst in.

"The door's open, let's just go!" Yang shouted to Blake.

"Yes, run away." Blake's shadow taunted. "Now's your chance."

"No." Blake said. "I won't run, not until this is finished."

"You're finally showing some backbone." The shadow said. "Maybe there is still hope for you." Her shadow stood and pointed to Weiss. "Help me kill that Schnee bitch and all will be forgiven. You know what her family has done to the Faunus, what they still do. Anything else would be a betrayal of your people."

"Weiss is my friend." Blake said. "I'll never hurt her. I don't care what her name is. I don't care who her father is. All I care about is who she is."

"Would she say the same thing if she knew what you've done?" Blake's shadow asked. "Those White Fang attacks on her family were pretty traumatizing."

"I never hurt anyone." Blake said.

"You may not have pulled the trigger, but you helped point the gun." The shadow said. "That's something you can't deny."

"I…I…shut up!" Blake screamed. She drew Gambol Shroud and charged at the shadow, grunting at every step taken on her injured leg. She swung her blade, but her shadow was gone before it arrived. It had jumped straight up and punched through the ceiling of the train car. Blake growled and jumped up after it.

"Blake, wait!" Weiss called after her in vain. The rest of the group scrambled to follow her.

At the rear of the train, there was nowhere to go. Blake's shadow stood on the edge. She charged. Suddenly, the shadow melted into a puddle of black liquid before reforming into a ten-foot-tall Minotaur that retained Adam's features. The awful truth finally hit Blake. It had been staring her in the face all along, and she knew on some level, but somehow she had repressed it. She was not facing Adam. It was something worse. The monster that stood before her was just a reflection of her. Everything it said, everything it did, was a reflection of her. If the things it said were terrible and evil, it was because deep down, she was too. She stumbled to a stop just in front of the shadow and dropped to her knees.

As the others looked on, the shadow picked Blake up, lifted her over its head, and slammed her down hard. She smashed through the top of the train car and disappeared into the darkness inside. Yang charged without thinking. She was fast but the shadow was faster. As she jumped into her attack, the shadow met her with a backhand smack. She tumbled aside, heading off the speeding train. Weiss produced a glyph in Yang's path, knocking her back atop the train where she landed roughly. She charged straight back at the shadow, but with its longer reach, the attack was futile. It punched her straight in the face and she slammed down hard, the back of her head hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

"She's going to get herself killed." Rise warned. "Get her out of there!"

Yu ran forward, grabbed the downed Yang by the collar and slid her back toward the rest of the group. Rise pulled Yang the rest of the way and held her down as the groggy Yang tried to get back up. Yu found electricity to be ineffective and ice likewise. The attacks were very good at making the shadow angry. It charged him, lowering its horns to use them as a battering ram. Yu jumped over the shadow as it charged, landing behind it as the shadow slid to a stop. He slashed at the monster with his sword, cutting through its hide as it roared in pain. It may have been hurt but it was still fast. It spun around and swung a fist at Yu. He deflected the attack with the side of his sword, but another punch followed from the other side. It caught him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

Naoto pummeled the shadow with fire, more to distract it than anything. It worked, and the shadow ran at her. Naoto fell back as Yosuke stepped up. A blast of wind caused the shadow to stumble backward. Weiss covered the floor behind the shadow with ice. As Yosuke's wind pushed it back, the shadow slipped and slammed down on its back. More ice locked the shadow in place, providing an opening for the others to attack. Team YYRN rushed the shadow and slashed at it with their blades as it struggled to get free. They were tearing it apart. Suddenly, the shadow melted back into black liquid. Free of the ice it reformed, but returned to Adam's form. The wounded shadow fled the group and jumped down into the train car through the hole Blake had made. The group followed, their opportunity to finish the shadow off slipping away.

The shadow stood in the center of the train car, the downed Blake behind it as it faced the group. It no longer looked injured. Though in a human form, it looked as strong as ever, a look of confidence on its face. "I'm going to kill the six of you, and then I'm going to kill her." The shadow hissed. "That little interlude on the roof was interesting, but now you'll witness my true power!" It thrust its hands forward and a blast of energy knocked the group off their feet. Just as they started to get up it sent another wave, knocking them back down. It drew a sword and began to approach. Every time one of them tried to get back up to fight, a wave of the shadow's hand sent a blast of energy to put a stop to that. "Now, who should I kill…"

The shadow stopped mid-sentence and looked down. A black blade protruded from its chest. Blake, bruised and bloodied, had thrust Gambol Shroud cleanly through the shadow. For a moment, the two stood there still, a look of shock and terror on the shadow's face. Blake's face showed only grim determination. With a grunt Blake wrenched the blade upward, cutting out through the shadow's shoulder. This time when the shadow melted, it did not reform. It simply evaporated away. Blake collapsed, injured and exhausted.

Weiss rushed over and knelt at Blake's side. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm so sorry." Blake said. "All the things I've done, I wouldn't blame you if you hated me. I'm a terrible person. You saw my shadow, that's me. I'm angry, violent and cowardly. I'm a monster."

"That's not the Blake I know." Weiss said. "The Blake I know is smart, brave and kind. I don't care how you were or what you did before we met. That doesn't matter. What matters is the person you've become. We all make mistakes, but what really matters is what we do next. Just the fact that you're beating yourself up about this shows that you're not that person anymore. And the things you did to my family? I don't blame you. I don't even want to know what they were. My family is responsible for some terrible things. Together we can make it right, for both of us."

"Weiss…I…" Blake stammered with tears running down her cheeks. "But…I…I don't…"

"We'll get through this together." Weiss cut her off. She grabbed Blake around the shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"Together." Blake said, hugging her back.

"Wow, this is getting hot!" Yang shouted. "Do you want me to book you two a room to yourselves?"

Flustered, Weiss pushed Blake back and stood up. Yang walked over and helped Blake to her feet. "You really know how to ruin a touching moment." Blake said, wiping her tears away. "Where's Ruby?"

"She's still in here somewhere." Yu replied. "We'll get her tomorrow."

"Why not now?" Blake asked.

"Because you're bleeding from a gaping wound in your leg." Yang answered. Blake looked down to see that the ribbon had slipped down her calf, exposing the bloody and jagged wound. Yang pointed to Team YYRN. "They're pretty clear about not doing too much too fast."

"Please tell me you're willing to go to the hospital." Rise said.

"Weiss, how are you at sewing?" Blake asked.

"I made this combat skirt myself." Weiss said.

"Good, the first aid kit back in our dorm room has some sutures in it." Blake said. "I hope you're not squeamish."

"I could do it if Weiss doesn't want to." Naoto offered. "I have extensive first aid training."

"Don't encourage them." Rise sighed. "Why does everyone on this planet hate hospitals so much?"

* * *

"Well, they rescued Blake." Jaune said as he slipped his scroll into his pocket. Pyrrha's mood visibly brightened. Ren was just as low-key and Nora as excited as usual. "She's a little beat up but she's alright. Tomorrow they'll get Ruby."

"I still wish we could help." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, I want to crush some monsters!" Nora added.

"They don't want to put us in danger, especially with your injuries." Jaune said.

"I know; it's alright." Pyrrha said. She was feeling much better, but was definitely not ready for combat. The gash on her head was healed but she still felt weak. There was also the lingering headache. The doctors told her she was badly concussed and that it could take a long time to heal fully. They had only allowed her to walk that day and even then with plenty of people around to catch her if she lost her balance. Ren's recovery was progressing at about the same rate but he showed none of the same restlessness.

"It's getting late; I think Nora and I should head home." Jaune said. "We'll see you after classes tomorrow."

"Oh, I want to stay here." Nora moaned. Ren shot her a look to indicate that he agreed with Jaune. "Fine." She sighed. She and Jaune headed out.

"If I have to stay here much longer, I think I'll go insane." Ren said a few minutes later. "I like peace and quiet, some meditation, but this is too much."

Pyrrha was very surprised to hear that. Ren seemed content. "I feel the same way." She said. "The boredom is driving me crazy."

* * *

"The way wounds heal with aura is fascinating." Naoto said as she stitched up Blake's leg. "It's a little disappointing that I won't be able to see more natural progress." Weiss was totally grossed out, unable to look as Naoto worked. Yang, on the other hand, watched intently. Despite the lack of anesthetic, Blake showed few signs of pain, even as the needle poked through her skin, dragging the sutures behind it. She would occasionally grit her teeth or wince but mostly just kept a straight face. Naoto looped one last suture through Blake's leg before knotting it and cutting the line. "That should do it. I'm sorry the other side was so sloppy."

"Don't worry about it." Blake said. "I'm guessing you don't have much practice on live patients."

"Looks great." Yang said. She spun the cap off a bottle of medical alcohol and poured it over the wound. Blake winced and groaned in pain. "That should prevent any infection." Blake wanted to punch the big dumb smile off Yang's face for that, but she knew her teammate meant well.

"Thanks." Blake said, resisting the urge to say something she would regret later. Yang started to slap the wound but Blake caught her hand. "If you do that I'll shave your head while you sleep." Yang jumped back, grabbing her hair protectively.

"Is it…fixed?" Weiss asked. As much as she was concerned for her teammate's health, she mostly did not want to see the horrible wound again.

After reaching into the first aid kit, Naoto pulled out a bandage. She wrapped it tightly around Blake's leg and secured it in place. "All done." She confirmed. Naoto closed up the first aid kit and left.

"I didn't know you were so squeamish." Blake said to Weiss.

"I'm not usually." Weiss defended herself. "I could see the inside of your leg…moving. And the needle poking through your skin…" She shivered. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah, I hope Ruby's okay too." Yang sighed. She sat down, all the joy and playfulness from a moment ago gone. "I promised to protect her, to always be there for her, and now I'm here where it's safe and she's in that world with the monsters. I feel like a failure."

"Come on, it's not your fault." Blake said. "You've done everything you can and more. I'm sure she's fine. She's a lot tougher than she looks."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Yang said. She did not look any happier.

"There's something else isn't there." Weiss pressed.

"She's been through so much." Yang said. "I'm really worried about what her world will be like. I mean, it just seems like it gets worse with each of us. I would do anything for her to not have to go through that."

* * *

"Uh Naoto, your hands are a little bloody." Yosuke observed.

"I know; I haven't had a chance to wash them." Naoto said. "I just wanted to let you guys know that Blake's all patched up. She should be ready to go tomorrow."

"I still feel like we're rushing this." Rise said. "We're all pretty beat up the three of them especially. We can't risk failing."

"We can't afford to wait." Yu said. "Ruby's already been in there for days. As much as we're just kids, she's really just a kid. I'm really worried about her."


	17. The Place You Rest

Chapter 17

Team YYRN and Team RWBY, with the exception of Ruby herself, arrived at Ruby's world. It had been quite a walk, located as it was deep within the shadow world. It was a snowy forest with leafless trees lining a thin and winding path. The path was coated with a thin layer of snow and had a trail of blood drips down the center. Somehow it was not cold.

"It's beautiful in its own way, desolate as it is." Naoto observed.

"It feels so sad." Rise said. "Normally in a shadow world, I sense danger or anger, but here I just feel profound sadness."

"What do you make of this place Yang?" Blake asked. Yang did not answer. She stared off into the distance looking worried. "Yang?" Blake tapped Yang on the shoulder. Yang flinched in surprise. "What is this place?" Blake asked.

"I'm not sure." Yang replied. That was only partially true. "Ruby's never been all that open with me when it comes to her feelings."

"There's something you're not telling us." Blake said. "It's obvious just from looking at you."

"I…I'm just worried about Ruby." Yang said. "I don't…we should get moving." There was no point pressing the issue further. Yang would talk when she was ready.

The group headed down the winding path. Without obvious landmarks, it was difficult to tell how far they were walking. Every bend in the path looked like every other. As they proceeded deeper into the forest, light snow flurries began to fall. The flakes disappeared at the slightest touch and it was still somehow not cold. The path abruptly opened up into a broad snowy field. It felt like an arena, and in a sense it was. In the center was a shadow in the form of a twisted Deathstalker. The beast stood there silently, waiting for the intruders to make the first move.

Yang charged straight at the shadow. Ruby was in danger and Yang was not about to waste time. "Yang wait!" Rise called after her. Yang ignored the warning. At a full sprint she slammed her fist straight into the shadow's face. There was a blinding flash and Yang tumbled backward. She rolled to her feet, gripping her arm in pain. "It reflects physical attacks." Rise warned, too late. The shadow was not going to wait for Yang to recover. It lunged forward and swung one of its claws into her. Yang sailed through the air and slammed down on her side.

The shadow charged at the group. Weiss laid down a sheet of ice in the shadow's path. Its legs struggled for grip but found none. It fell down onto its belly and slid past the group. Weiss went to work encasing the shadow's limbs in ice. For a moment it appeared to be working, but the shadow jerked free and stood back up. It slammed its legs into the ground, shattering Weiss' sheet of ice. Clearly ice was not going to do the job. The shadow charged at Weiss as she tried to lay down another sheet. The insectoid shadow strafed away from the trap and resumed its charge. Weiss dove away but the shadow managed to hit her with one of its claws. She tumbled through the air and slammed into the trees that surrounded the clearing. Instead of individual trees, it felt more like hitting a solid wall.

Naoto launched fireballs at the shadow to get its attention. The beast cried in pain as the searing projectiles burned into it. Yu joined in, hitting the shadow with fire of his own. The shadow roared and charged the pair. The fire was hurting it but not enough to deter it. Naoto and Yu ran in opposite directions, forcing the shadow to make a choice. It chose Yu. He was not fast enough and it grabbed him in one of its colossal pincers. Yu groaned as it squeezed him tighter and tighter, only his aura keeping him from being sliced in two. He reached out both hands toward the shadow's face and blasted it with a continuous stream of fire. The shadow threw Yu down and thrashed at him as he retreated.

"Fire's the answer but you need more power." Rise said. "You're only burning the surface."

"Do you have any ideas?" Yu asked as the group reformed. "I was giving it all I have."

"Well, there is always science." Naoto said after thinking for a moment. "Yosuke, fan the flames."

The shadow recovered and charged at the group, snapping its claws as it raced toward them. Yu and Naoto unleashed streams of fire at the shadow but it continued its charge, undeterred by the flames. Yosuke stepped between the pair and blasted wind into their attacks. The flames immediately increased in intensity, completely surrounding the shadow as it continued to run at them. Yosuke added a twist to his wind and the fire was whipped into a tornado of flame that engulfed the shadow. It ceased its attack and screamed as the intense flames burned away at it. The shadow fell silent, melted and evaporated away.

"I hate Deathstalkers." Blake said.

"Those things exist in the real world?!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Yeah, they're usually not that hard to kill though." Yang said, stretching her arm in an attempt to deaden the pain.

"Good call on the wind Naoto." Rise said. "That was really clever."

"We've never really tried combining out attacks before, but I couldn't think of a reason why it wouldn't work." Naoto said with a shrug.

* * *

Adachi had not had much to do for the last few days. His face had been all over the news, and he was quite possibly the most wanted man in Vale. It was too dangerous to go out without taking precautions, so he spent his time sitting in Adam's safe house, just waiting. It was comfortable enough, being a large and well-furnished apartment. He spent a lot of time watching TV and was getting a kick out of seeing himself on the news. Infamy and fame were interchangeable anyway. Still, it was getting boring. He had the dust to keep himself strong, but nothing to use that strength for.

Adam walked into the room and took a long look at Adachi, seemingly sizing him up. "Adachi, I need you to come with me." Adam said. "There's work to be done."

"What's up?" Adachi asked. As much as he wanted to get out he was not really in the mood to do any real work.

"We're going to use your newfound fame to our advantage." Adam replied. "Some individuals need impressing…or intimidating, and you're the man for the job. We're going to pay them a visit."

Standing there and looking tough was something Adachi could handle. "Should I bring any dust?" He asked. He had just injected himself with some but he needed the injections more and more often to keep himself strong. He was entirely addicted.

"We should only be an hour or so." Adam answered. "I don't think you'll need it."

Adachi shrugged. "Alright." He said. He stood and walked out with Adam, leaving his stash behind.

* * *

As Team YYRN and Team RWBY, sans Ruby, proceeded further into Ruby's world, the look of the place became more threatening. The trees became increasingly twisted, the drips of blood on the trail got more frequent and larger, and the entire place just got darker. The overwhelming sense of sadness became stronger as well. Eventually they could all feel it. Yang looked more and more worried but still refused to say anything.

In time the group arrived at another large, open field. As they crossed threshold, vines and branches rapidly grew across the trail, blocking the way back. The way ahead was similarly obstructed. Whatever enemy surely faced them was nowhere to be seen. "There's one shadow." Rise reported, concentrating hard. "It's a big one, moving really fast. It's…airborne?"

With an ear-shattering screech the visage of a twisted giant Nevermore swooped down over the group. It flew across the area, pitched steeply up and hovered in place, flapping its massive wings wildly. After letting out another screech it flew at the group. As it closed in, it opened its terrifying maw to unleash a blast of fiery breath. Yang stood there, the flames surrounding her, as the rest of the group scattered. Being more or less fireproof would be useful in this fight. As the shadow flew over her, Yang leapt up and grabbed onto the feathers that lined its belly. The shadow flew on, rapidly changing directions in an attempt to shake her off as Yang maneuvered onto its back.

Yang got onto position just behind the shadow's head and punched it repeatedly, Ember Celica adding more impetus to each strike. The shadow screeched and thrashed but Yang had a strong grip. As the shadow struggled she continued to attack, though her attacks seemed to do little damage. Finally the shadow had enough. It dove at the ground, flipped over, and slammed down on its back, sheering Yang off as it scraped along the snowy ground. The shadow soared back into the air, leaving Yang motionless in the middle of the field.

Yu blasted the shadow with electricity as Naoto did the same with fire, but their attacks were ineffective. Weiss used a glyph to create a wall of ice in the shadow's path, but a combination of its fire breath and sheer bulk allowed it to break through as easily as if the wall were made of cardboard. Blake threw the bladed end of Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, at the shadow. The blade sunk into the shadow's skin and hooked in place, and soon Blake, holding onto the other end, was tugged skyward. She retracted the ribbon, pulling herself to the shadow. Using Gambol Shroud's blade to anchor herself in place, she fired into the shadow's neck.

With a screech the shadow swept down, attempting to scrape Blake off the way it had done to Yang. Blake leapt off, still attached to the shadow by Gambol Shroud, and skidded along behind it on her feet. The trees on the edge of the field were coming up fast. Yosuke stepped up and hit the shadow with a powerful downdraft. It slammed down into the ground and slid into the trees, stopping as suddenly as if it had hit a brick wall. The shadow was dazed. It flapped its wings futilely as it lay on its back. Weiss saw her opportunity. She raced toward the shadow and leapt into the air. At the height of her leap she caught a glyph that rocketed her down, Myrtenaster first, into the shadow. Her blade sunk deep into the monster's neck. She cycled Myrtenaster and fired innumerable ice crystals into the shadow until the frozen spikes severed the shadow's head. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"Yang, are you okay?!" Blake shouted as she ran to Yang's side.

"I hate those things." Yang groaned. She staggered to her feet and dusted herself off.

"So those things exist too?" Yosuke asked. To him, Remnant seemed an increasingly terrifying place.

"Yes, but they don't breathe fire." Blake said without any hint of emotion. "They're difficult to fight all the same."

* * *

Ruby awoke to find herself in a snowy field. Though she did not know how she had gotten there, Ruby knew immediately where she was. Before attending Beacon she had come to this place often. She could not understand why it was not cold, but it did not matter. This place was more important to her than any other, even her home. Though sometimes she could find solace here, today there was only sorrow.

* * *

Adam had dragged Adachi around for hours. They met with a bunch of White Fang lackeys but it did not seem like anything Adachi needed to be there for. It was a boring waste of time. Worse, having been without dust injections for so long, he was feeling weak. By Adachi's estimation he was only a little more powerful than he would have been before dust. He needed a shot and he needed it now. Fortunately, Adam was finally done making his rounds and they were back at the safe house.

"Why did you drag me along?" Adachi growled as Adam unlocked the door and waved him in.

"Oh, I have my reasons." Adam said. Adachi stepped into the safe house, only to be confronted by Torchwick.

"What the hell is this?!" Adachi demanded.

"This is me making a business deal." Adam replied. "You've failed over and over, and with your face all over the news there's no way left for you to help me. Serving you up to my ally will makes him happy and takes care of my problem. It's been a pleasure." Adam exited, closed the door and locked it, leaving Torchwick and Adachi alone.

"So you're the guy that tried to kill Neo." Torchwick said. "She's going to be so happy when she hears about this. I'm going to make you suffer."

"Just try it." Adachi said, electricity arcing between his fingers. Hours from his last injection he was well below his full strength, but he was still a force to be reckoned with. The two combatants stared each other down for a moment, each looking for a weakness to exploit. The stalemate was soon broken as Adachi drew his revolver and fired.

* * *

The winding path finally reached its end. It opened into a large field bordered on one side by a cliff and on the others by densely packed trees. Ruby was there, kneeling before a stone monument near the cliff, her back to the new arrivals.

"Why?" Yang asked, her voice trembling. "Why here?"

"What is this place?" Blake asked, hoping she would finally answer.

"It's her mother's grave." Yang replied, tears in her eyes. "She died when we were very young. I guess you could say it was the defining moment in her life." Yang wanted to rush to Ruby's side to comfort her, but she could not bring herself to do it. As much as Summer's death had been painful for them both, Ruby's suffering was on an entirely different level. As much as Yang wanted to help, as much as she wanted to take away Ruby's pain, it simply was not something she could do. So she approached, walking slowly, Blake and Weiss, Naoto – who had lost her own parents – next with the rest of Team YYRN lagging behind, unsure of what to do.

As they crossed the vast field, it became apparent that Ruby was not alone. It had been difficult to see, a white figure against a snowy white background, but there was someone else. Maybe the figure had not even been there before, this world was known to play tricks. Standing before Ruby was a woman in a white cloak, her face shrouded in shadow. "That's the shadow." Rise warned.

"That's her mother." Yang said, her voice clearly wavering, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not sure I can do it."

"Ruby, it's been a long time." Summer said. Her voice was soft and friendly, not at all like a shadow.

"I missed you so much." Ruby cried. "I thought you were…"

"Dead?" Summer cut her off. "I'm here now."

Yang reached Ruby's side. The others stayed back. "Come on Ruby, we need to leave." Yang said. "It's not safe here."

"But…mom…" Ruby trailed off. "I can't lose her again." This was not Ruby the powerful warrior. This was Ruby the little girl who missed her mother.

"That's not mom." Yang said. "It's a shadow. We have to go." Ruby refused to budge. Yang looked back at the group, unsure of what to do.

If Ruby would not leave, the others would have to deal with the shadow, no matter what form it had taken. Weiss and Blake nodded at each other and charged forward. Ruby stood and grabbed Crescent Rose, swung the weapon around as it extended, and slammed it down in front of the pair, barring their path. "No." Ruby said. "I won't let you."

"Ruby, please." Weiss implored. She started to push Ruby's weapon aside.

In response Ruby aggressively twisted Crescent Rose, pointing the blade at Weiss. "I said no!" Ruby screamed. Weiss backed off.

"Ruby, as much as you want it to be, that's not mom." Yang said. "Mom's gone and nothing will bring her back. All we can do is go on as best we can. It's what she would have wanted."

Suddenly, the entire atmosphere took a dark turn. The sky turned blood red and cast an eerie glow on everything. Summer, that is the shadow, laughed. "What I would have wanted?" The shadow said. "I would have wanted a better daughter! You're so pathetic."

"Leave her alone!" Yang hopped over Crescent Rose and charged at the shadow. With a wave of its hand it pushed her back with a blast of wind.

"The only friends you can make are losers and those forced upon you." The shadow continued. "And now you've even turned on them. It's no surprise. I mean, what manner of friends are they anyway? Your partner hates you because you're the leader and she isn't. Your sister is just as unreliable as always. Blake didn't even trust you enough to tell you she's a Faunus. You're a failure, as a person and as a leader. You're just a worthless, sad child." Ruby dropped Crescent Rose, fell to her knees and started crying inconsolably.

"Now, go!" Blake shouted. Weiss and Blake charged at the shadow with Yang close behind.

With a wave the shadow pushed them all back with wind. "I will end your short, pathetic life." The shadow boomed. With that it melted into a mass of black liquid before reforming into a grotesque, giant Beowolf. It retained Summer's face and still wore her cloak, and bore bloody and exaggerated claws. "You will all fall here as I did!"


	18. Mother Fearest

Chapter 18

With the rest of Team RWBY pushed back, the shadow swung its claw at the helpless Ruby. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow but it never came. Instead there was a loud metallic clang and a grunt of exertion. Ruby opened her eyes to see Yu holding back the shadow's claw with his sword, struggling against its immense strength. "Ruby, you have to move." Yu groaned. His feet slid across the ground and regained their hold as he continued to defend her.

Ruby did not see the point in living anymore. Her life was not worth living. Her mother was gone, she could not make friends and she was a horrible leader. She would end up alone, a disgrace.

Weiss skated toward the shadow on her glyphs. She leapt at the beast, extending Myrtenaster to land a blow. The shadow was faster. It backhanded her with its free hand, still keeping the pressure on Yu with the other. Weiss tumbled through the air toward the cliff. She landed just before the edge, slid across the snowy ground and over the precipice. She managed to grab the ledge and just hold on, hanging over what seemed to be a bottomless abyss. With the help of a glyph, she sprung back up and into the fight.

Yu's strength was waning but he was not about to give up. The beast pressed him ever harder but and his traction began to fail. The shadow gave up the direct approach. It relented suddenly, causing Yu to stumble as the pressure was released. Before he could recover, the shadow blasted him with wind. He sailed across the field and landed on his back, unconscious.

Ruby was again undefended, but the shadow's second attack was no more successful. Yang charged in and punched the beast's claw away. She dodged a counter attack from the shadow's other claw and jumped up to punch it in the chest. The shadow staggered back but Yang overplayed her advantage. The beast caught her in its massive hand and threw her off the cliff. Blake rushed to the cliff side and threw half of Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, to Yang as she fell. Yang managed to grab the lifeline with one hand. Her momentum tugged Blake to the very edge and slammed Yang into the rock face as the ribbon stretched taut. Blake struggled to pull Yang up without falling over herself, while Yang struggled to find purchase on the rocks.

After hitting Weiss with a blast of wind that tossed her across the field, the shadow turned its attention back to Ruby. This time it was Yosuke's turn to intervene. He pushed the shadow aside with wind of his own, slowly advancing as he unleashed gust after gust. At first the shadow stumbled and tripped, but it steeled itself against the onslaught. After regaining its footing, the shadow charged at Yosuke. He tried to dive aside but the shadow kicked him hard. He rolled across the ground before coming to an awkward halt on his side. With no need for fine aiming at such a large target, Naoto fired her rifle from the hip with one arm while she launched fireballs at the shadow with the other. The fireballs broke on the shadow and dissipated without doing any damage. Her gunfire was of little effect as well.

The distraction was just what Blake, Weiss and Yang had needed. Weiss rejoined the others as Blake continued to struggle to pull up Yang. Weiss immediately formulated a plan. She produced a path of glyphs that started underneath Blake and aimed toward the shadow. Blake figured out what Weiss was up to, stopped straining, and used the glyphs to run away from the cliff with blinding speed. On the other end of the tether, Yang was rocketed into the air, flying straight at the shadow. Adjusting her course with blasts from Ember Celica, Yang steered herself into the back of the shadow's head. She reared back and unleashed the most powerful punch she could muster. The shadow stumbled forward from the impact and flailed in an attempt to reach Yang, who continued to punch the beast in the back of the head. With the shadow too bulky to reach her, Yang was free to continue attacking.

Blake charged the shadow, firing Gambol Shroud as she ran. Once close, she too jumped on its back. With one hand, Blake slashed at the shadow with Gambol Shroud's blade while she continued to shoot it with the other. Weiss used her glyphs to zip back and forth past the shadow, slashing at it as she passed. The shadow struggled but could not counter. Still, it refused to go down and did not even appear to weaken.

"It keeps regenerating." Rise said. "You need to do damage faster."

"We're doing all we can." Yang growled as she continued to punch it.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up." Weiss warned. Her attacks were losing their speed and their power as she tired. Blake was totally exhausted as well. She emptied her last magazine into the shadow but continued stabbing. Her stabs were weak and slow however. Now without Ember Celica to boost them, Yang's punches weakened considerably.

"Just give up so I can kill you already!" The shadow hissed. "Your deaths are inevitable. Ruby's team will perish and her failure will be complete."

"I won't let you hurt them!" Ruby screamed with tears streaming down her face. Crescent Rose in hand, she charged at the shadow. She dodged to the side in a shower of rose petals as the shadow attempted to push her back with wind. Ruby jumped, and fired Crescent Rose backwards repeatedly to propel herself. She changed her angle of fire just before reaching the shadow, sending herself into a dizzying spin. In a flash of black and red she sliced into the shadow with her scythe. The shadow roared as Ruby's blade cut deep, creating geysers of black liquid. The shadow flailed weakly but was unable to withstand the attack. It melted and evaporated away.

Ruby dropped to the ground on all fours, physically and emotionally spent. All the while she cried hysterically. Yang knelt at her side, grabbed her by the shoulders and hugger her tightly. Ruby tried to say something but it was unintelligible because of her continued sobbing. "It's alright, we're all here for you." Yang said through tears of her own. "It's over."

"I can't…I don't…" Ruby stammered. "Mom…"

"I know." Yang said. "I miss her too."

"I feel like I lost her all over again." Ruby sobbed. "It hurts so much."

"It'll be alright." Yang said. "We still have each other."

"Even if that wasn't mom, the things it said, it's right." Ruby cried. "I am worthless."

"You're not worthless to me." Yang said, wiping the tears from Ruby's face. "You're the most important person in the world to me and you always will be. I'll always be there for you and I know you'll always be there for me."

"We'll be there too." Blake said with a smile. "Right Weiss?"

"Of course." Weiss agreed. "You're our leader, and our friend. You could never be worthless to us."

"If you were worthless, do you think we'd have come all this way for you?" Naoto said. "I don't care what that monster said, you're a great person."

"Yeah, and even if you are awkward you're friendly and caring." Yosuke added. "One of your teammates could learn a thing or two." He added under his breath.

"Come on, let's go home." Yu said, gripping his side in pain. "Everyone's been really worried about you."

"Thanks." Ruby said as she wiped her eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

* * *

Adachi emptied his revolver into Torchwick. Torchwick spun his cane and managed to block two of the shots, the other four being absorbed by his aura. "Are you done?" Torchwick asked with disdain. "Make this easier for both of us and just give up."

"Fuck you." Adachi growled. He fumbled to reload his revolver.

"You need a better weapon." Torchwick advised. He pointed his cane at Adachi, drawing his attention. A crosshairs flipped up from the bottom as Torchwick prepared to fire.

"Well shit." Adachi sighed. Torchwick fired. A fiery projectile slammed into Adachi's chest. It exploded, sending Adachi flying back and into the wall behind him. Adachi slumped to the ground in a daze, his suit singed by the explosion. Torchwick approached with a confident smile. Adachi's suddenly leapt to his feet and reached out a hand toward Torchwick. Electricity shot from his fingertips. Torchwick raised his cane and caught the attack on it. The weapon began to glow as energy built up to a dangerous level. Torchwick fired, launching another explosive projectile and discharging the energy. Adachi dove aside as the shot blasted through the wall behind him, crossed the hallway, blasted through the wall into the apartment across the hall, crossed that, and smashed through the exterior wall on the other side of the building.

Much to Adachi's advantage, the blast created a cloud of dust and smoke, allowing him to reload his revolver while concealed. "Come out, come out." Torchwick taunted as he searched blindly for Adachi. Torchwick walked past Adachi's hiding place and presented the perfect opportunity.

Adachi leapt up and pressed the barrel of his revolver to the back of Torchwick's head. "I think this gun works just fine." Adachi sneered.

Torchwick froze in his tracks. "Hey now, why don't we talk this over." He said. "I'm sure we can come to a mutually advantageous agreement."

"Sorry, I like killing a little too much for that." Adachi said.

"That's a shame." Torchwick sighed. Adachi had not noticed, but Torchwick had moved his cane so that it pointed at the floor between them. Torchwick fired. The explosion, significant but much smaller than the last one, blew both men off their feet. They sailed across the room in opposite directions and slammed down hard, unconscious.

* * *

"I just talked to Jaune." Yang said, putting away her scroll. "He's really happy to hear that Ruby's safe. He's got good news of his own too. Ren and Pyrrha are being released from the hospital tomorrow."

"We should do something to celebrate." Rise suggested.

"Shouldn't we be focused on capturing Adachi?" Blake asked. "He's still at large."

"We can wait a day." Yosuke said. "I think we all need some rest anyway. You guys have been through a lot, you deserve a chance to unwind."

"That actually sounds like a good idea." Weiss said. "Do you guys have any ideas about what we should do?"

"We could go out somewhere." Rise said.

"I'm not sure Ren and Pyrrha are going to be up for that." Blake said. "Maybe we should do something here."

"Naoto and I could cook something." Rise said. She seemed quite excited by the prospect. "The dorm has a kitchen, we can bake a cake."

"I'd love to have some cake." Yang said. "A little party where we just hang out and have some food sounds perfect."

"Well, at least Chie and Yukiko won't be in on the cooking." Yosuke said. "I still have nightmares about the camping trip." Yu shuddered at the thought.

"What happened on the camping trip?" Blake asked.

"Our two friends, Chie and Yukiko, cooked curry for Yu and me." Yosuke said. "Well, it wasn't curry in any recognizable way. We almost died. A while after that Rise cooked an omelet for us. That was pretty much inedible too. Maybe we should let Yu handle the cooking."

"I'm game." Yu said.

"That's not fair!" Rise complained. "We're improving. I'm sure Naoto and I can handle a cake. Right Naoto?" There was no response. "Naoto?" Naoto and Ruby had been conspicuously absent from the conversation. They were not with the others in Team YYRN's dorm room. "Well, if she was here she'd agree with me." Rise said.

"At least let me help." Yu said. "I can teach you a few things."

"Really?!" Rise exclaimed excitedly. "Cooking with Senpai, it sounds fun."

"Well, I guess it's settled then." Weiss said. "I'll provide some hors d'oeuvres."

* * *

Down the hall in Team RWBY's dorm room, Ruby lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She still felt a profound sadness. Even with all the support her friends had provided, she could not shake it. The simple face was that her mother was still gone. Nothing would change that. She could usually push it to some dark, out of the way corner of her mind and not think about it, but recent events had pushed it to the fore. Her friends were happy to have her and everyone else back safe, and she did not want to drag them down with her own depression, so she decided to stay away for the moment. She had spent many nights crying alone, and one more seemed to be ahead of her.

There was a light knock at the door. Ruby had left it open. "Ruby, are you in here?" Naoto asked, standing in the doorway.

Ruby did not really want to respond but she did not want to worry the others. "Yeah, I'm up here." Ruby said, trying her best to hide her emotions.

"Can I come in?" Naoto asked.

"I guess." Ruby sighed. She was certainly not in the mood for a visitor.

Naoto approached, examining the complicated apparatus that held up Ruby's bed. Not feeling confident in the setup, she stood on the edge of Weiss's bedframe to put herself on Ruby's level. "I know you probably don't feel like talking to me, but I want you to know that I'm here for you." Naoto said. "I lost both of my parents when I was very young."

"How do you deal with it?" Ruby asked. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Of course it hurts." Naoto replied. "It always will. I try to live a life they would be proud of. If they were still alive, I'm sure they would just want me to be happy. They would be thrilled to know that I'm following in their footsteps as a detective, but I think the thing they would be happiest about is that I'm doing what I love. The best way you can honor your mother is to enjoy life. I for one think she'd be very proud of the person you've become."

"Thank you." Ruby said, her eyes tearing up.

* * *

Adachi slowly regained his senses. His vision was blurry but he could see flashing lights. He stumbled to his feet and staggered over to a window. The police were outside. Apparently his fight with Torchwick had not gone unnoticed. Given the level of noise and destruction, that was no surprise. What was surprise was the level of the police response. There were dozens of cars with officers in combat gear in cover behind them. Robotic soldiers were positioned at regular intervals. Armed airships hovered around, aiming spotlights at the apartment. He was surrounded.

Adachi knew a hopeless situation when he saw one. Even with dust he would not be able to fight his way through the small army outside. He looked around, desperate to find some method of escape. The television sat on a table across the room. Its blank screen beckoned. He collected his already prepared dust injections and slipped them into his pocket. He gave the still unconscious Torchwick one last kick in the ribs before he made good his escape.

* * *

Pyrrha walked into Team YYRN's dorm room, her arm draped over Jaune's shoulder to support her. She was mostly recovered but was still a bit unsteady on her feet. Following them in came Nora, carrying Ren over her shoulder. Ren looked embarrassed. Nora set him down on a chair beside Pyrrha and Jaune. They waited impatiently with Team RWBY and Yosuke for the others to bring the food. They downed the small but delicately presented sandwiches Weiss had provided. She was unhappy with the rapidity of their consumption. Surely they could not properly enjoy her work at that speed.

After a time filled with polite conversation, the main event arrived. Yu walked in carrying a very large and elaborately decorated cake. Yosuke looked to Yu for some indication of how much input he had had in the creation of the cake, but he was characteristically impassive. Yu placed the cake down on the table and Naoto delivered utensils. Rise looked on eagerly as Yang cut out a slice. She passed it to Pyrrha and went to work cutting pieces for everyone.

"So, how much did you have to do with this?" Yosuke asked Yu.

"They didn't let me do much but I tried to prevent them from doing anything catastrophic." Yu replied. He shrugged. "It should be alright."

"Should be?" Yosuke said with obvious concern. Yang passed him a plate with a slice on it. It looked edible enough. "I guess I should be the gentleman and be the first to taste this thing. I wouldn't want anyone else to get sick." A series of grunts drew Yosuke's attention. Nora's plate was empty and her cheeks were full. "Well, so much for that."

"It's great!" Nora shouted, her mouth still full.

"Nora, you really shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Ren admonished. "It is quite good though." Rise looked positively joyful and Naoto looked relieved.

"So, did we miss anything interesting?" Yu asked.

"Not really." Yosuke replied. "They're all pretty happy to just see each other again, and I don't understand half the things they've been talking about. I guess you had to be there."

Blake's scroll beeped. She glanced at the screen and put it away. "That was Sun." Blake said. "He says we should turn on the news."

Rise grabbed the remote and turned the screen on. The news was exciting indeed. A picture of Torchwick filled the upper right corner of the screen with the word 'captured' underneath it. "He was found unconscious by authorities in the ruins of a destroyed apartment." The newsreader said. "Though the building was heavily damaged, the police maintain that it was already in that state upon their arrival. There were signs of a struggle but no other individuals were present." The story complete, Rise turned the screen off.

"That's another reason to celebrate." Ruby said. "It's such a relief to know we won't have to worry about him causing trouble."

"Adachi's still out there though." Weiss said.

"We'll get him." Rise said. "It's only a matter of time." The rest of the evening passed with cordial and happy conversation. The exception was a bit of a row while playing _Remnant: The Game_ when there was some disagreement over rules between JNPR and RWBY, but in the end fun was had by all. As it slowly crept toward midnight, a light rain began to fall outside.

The clock struck midnight and the television began to emit an eerie yellow glow. The party had not yet broken up, and the assembled group sat transfixed. After a burst of static, Adachi appeared, the image perfectly clear. "Narukami you little punk, I know you and your pack of misfits are watching." Adachi growled. This was no shadow, it was the man himself. "You've screwed me over for the last time. You know where to find me, let's end this." There was a burst of static and the screen went dark.

"I guess he figured out we're here." Rise said. "With us rescuing everyone he threw in it was inevitable."

"This is perfect." Yu said. "He's trapped himself."

"He's still dangerous." Blake warned.

"We've defeated him before." Yosuke said.

"I don't know what his powers were like the last time you fought him, but he's different now." Blake said. "He defeated us without breaking a sweat."

"He's tremendously powerful." Pyrrha said. "He's impossibly fast and strong. None of us could touch him."

"I never said it would be easy." Yu said. "If we work together we can stop him once and for all."


	19. Showdown

Chapter 19

The moment of truth had arrived. Teams RWBY and YYRN were ready to face Adachi. They passed through the screen and into the Shadow World.

"Where are we?" Blake asked. Instead of the threatening looking but relatively safe hub they usually arrived in, the teams found themselves surrounded by unending blackness.

"I don't know." Naoto replied. "I think this means Adachi has the same sort of control over this world he had back home." There was no apparent light source, no clear floor, walls or roof, and no landmarks at all. Still, they could somehow see each other as if they were in a well lit room.

"I can't detect anything." Rise reported. "Don't let your guard down though. It's like my abilities are being jammed."

"Interesting…" Adachi's voice came from everywhere and nowhere. "Narukami, I'm surprised, half of your pals are missing. That's unfortunate; I was hoping to take you all out in one shot. At least you brought me some substitutes."

"Just show yourself so we can end you!" Yang shouted.

"Like you did last time?" Adachi laughed. "Don't you remember how I kicked your ass without breaking a sweat?"

"This time we're ready." Ruby said.

"Sad to say I'm not." Adachi said. "You see, while I'm entirely confident that I could take all of you, I'm not really in the mood. I think I'll split you up first." In an instant Yu and Ruby were gone as if they had fallen through the floor. "That was fun; I think I'll do it again." The remaining members of the group felt the sensation of falling and everyone else faded from view. "Now I'm ready."

* * *

Rise landed. It was a jolt but felt like she had only fallen a few inches. Only Naoto and Yosuke were with her. Her abilities were still being blocked. "This isn't good." Yosuke said. He looked worried.

"You're right." Naoto agreed. "We didn't plan for this. I didn't think Adachi would have that kind of control over this world." She looked around curiously, but there was not much to see.

The group could hear footsteps, and they were getting closer. "Someone's coming but I can't sense who." Rise said. A figure appeared and they struggled to see who it was. It was tall and thin. Adachi? No, the posture was all wrong. "Senpai!" Rise shouted as Yu came into focus. She rushed toward him and wrapped him in a tight hug. He stood still and silent. He did not hug her back; there was no witty remark or comforting words. "Senpai?" Rise looked up at Yu's face. She saw eyes full of anger and hatred. "You're not senpai." She said as she stumbled back in terror. The shadow grinned and lunged at her, punching her in the side of the head. Rise crumpled, unconscious, as the shadow drew its blade.

* * *

Yang landed in a crouch. It felt like she had fallen for a long time but the impact of the landing felt more like she had dropped off a single stair. The rest of her team was there, except for Ruby. They seemed to be in the same unending sea of darkness, but the others were gone. "I hate that guy." Yang growled.

"Calm down." Blake said. "He wants us to get worked up. We can't afford to fall for his games."

"Blake's right." Weiss agreed. "We need to be ready. We can't let him get the drop on us again."

There was a sound, footsteps in the distance. They were getting louder. Yang could not just bring herself to wait there and await the unknown. She was going to meet it halfway. With uncharacteristic caution she started in the direction of the sound as the others followed with weapons drawn. Soon they could see a figure. Whoever it was, she was too short to be Adachi, and he was unlikely to be wearing a dress.

"Is that…" Blake started.

"It's Ruby!" Yang shouted. She ran to her sister and wrapped her in a tight, smothering hug. Something was wrong. Ruby did not squirm or squeal in an attempt to escape from Yang's vice-like grip. "What's wrong?" Yang asked as she stepped back and held Ruby by the shoulders at arm's length. Ruby looked at Yang with eyes full of anger and hatred.

"Yang, it's a shadow!" Weiss warned. It was too late. The shadow swung Crescent Rose around. It unfolded as it arced behind Yang, the blade landing in position inches behind her. With a pull of the trigger she would be cut in two.

* * *

Ruby landed awkwardly, though it felt like the fall had only been a few inches. Without any reference points to use to orient herself, maintaining balance after the sudden drop was difficult and she just managed to stay on her feet. Beside her was Yu, looking annoyed. They were alone. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Yu replied. "I can't believe we fell into a trap. I'm an idiot; I should have been prepared for this."

"You can't predict everything." Ruby assured him. "We can deal with this. I just hope our teammates will be okay."

"I'm not worried about them." Yu said. "They're strong and they can take whatever's thrown at them. I'm worried about me. Without them, I'm nothing."

"Come on now, I've seen you fight." Ruby said. "You're awesome, with or without them." Yu did not look convinced. There was no more time for discussion however, someone was approaching. A figure appeared, walking toward them. Tall and thin with a casual air, it had to be Adachi. He got closer. Was it a shadow? No, this was the genuine article.

Adachi looked surprised. "How did she get here?" He asked. The annoyance was clear in his voice. "No matter, I'll just have to deal with both of you."

"Just give up." Yu said, drawing his sword. "You promised us you would behave."

"I promised a lot of people a lot of things." Adachi laughed. "Besides, I only promised to follow the rules of your world. This isn't your world, so the rules don't apply."

"What do you even want?" Ruby asked. "What's the point of all this?"

"Does there even have to be a point?" Adachi shrugged. "I just want to have a good time. Money, power, fame, it's all so fun. Unfortunately you fucked it up, and now you're going to pay."

"Your fight is with me, leave her out of this." Yu said, stepping in front of Ruby.

"Looking to add another to the harem eh?" Adachi smiled. "Is there no end with you?"

"What's he talking about?" Ruby asked.

"Don't you know?" Adachi laughed. "Those girls he brought, he's fucking them both. And he's got more back home. Isn't that right Narukami? If I know you – and let's face it, I do – I'd say she's on your list of planned conquests. The other girls too probably. I'd say it's the only reason he even helped you."

"Stop trying to turn us against each other." Yu said.

"Is he telling the truth?" Ruby asked.

"Partially." Yu admitted. "I get around, but that's not why I help people."

"Are you going to believe him?" Adachi asked. "I know if I was him I wouldn't tell you the truth. Tell me, has he done anything _altruistic_ that didn't involve a girl?"

"Well, no, but…" Ruby started.

"I'm not perfect but I'm not just driven by my base urges." Yu said, pointing the tip of his blade at Adachi. "You're looking at me through the lens of you." Yu turned to Ruby. "I help people because it's the right thing to do. I don't need you to believe I'm telling the truth about my motives. You're smart enough to see what he's trying to do and you know he's the enemy."

Ruby swung Crescent Rose around and pointed it at Adachi. "He's shown nothing but kindness since he got here." Ruby said. "You've caused nothing but suffering. I don't care why he helped us, what's important is that he did." She stood at Yu's side. "I'll fight with him."

"Suit yourself." Adachi shrugged. "You won't have the opportunity to find out if he's telling the truth anyway. You'll be dead long before that." His grin widened. Wind erupted around Adachi, blowing his hair and clothes around, as electricity arced between his fingers.

* * *

Shadow Yu flipped its sword around and stabbed down at Rise. Just before the blade arrived, the shadow was knocked back and off balance by a blast of wind from Yosuke. A fireball from Naoto further distracted the shadow as the pair rushed to Rise's aid. Yosuke unleashed blast after blast of wind at the shadow, and it appeared to be working. The shadow grunted in pain as it staggered back under the sustained assault. Naoto tended to Rise. She was just regaining consciousness and still trying to get her bearings.

The shadow had finally had enough of Yosuke's attacks. It roared and leapt aside, dodging a blast of wind. Electricity arced between its fingers and then leapt through the air and into Yosuke. He writhed, no longer able to control his muscles as electricity coursed through his body. The shadow relented and Yosuke dropped to his knees. He was in pain but not ready to give up. He struggled back to his feet as the shadow looked on with an expression that Yosuke thought seemed like amusement. The shadow laughed and then unleashed a short but very powerful blast of electricity. Yosuke dropped flat on his back. He sat up but another blast knocked him down. Now he no longer had the strength to resist. The shadow added another vicious blast as it approached.

The shadow drew its blade and held it high above its head. Before it could finish Yosuke off a series of rifle bullets struck the shadow in the chest. Naoto's shots did no apparent damage but the shadow's attention was successfully diverted. Naoto blasted the shadow with wind, knocking it back, but it quickly recovered and launched a bolt of lightning at her. She blocked it and fired back with wind. The shadow grunted as it took the hit before launching another electric strike. Naoto blocked that attack as well but she was drained. She fired a final blast of wind at the shadow. It was enough to knock the shadow off its feet, but Naoto was spent. She dropped to a knee in exhaustion as the shadow stood up and stomped toward her.

As the shadow approached Naoto stabbed up at it in a last ditch effort. The shadow sidestepped the strike and grabbed her wrist. It twisted her arm until she was no longer able to hold her weapon. The sword/rifle combo dropped to floor at her feet. Naoto tried to punch the shadow with her free hand but it caught that arm too. The shadow grinned and unleashed a blast of electricity directly into her. She screamed and convulsed as the current coursed through her, but it relented while she was still conscious. The shadow laughed then wrenched and twisted her arm. She screamed as her shoulder was dislocated.

The shadow let Naoto drop to her knees. It drew its blade and lifted Naoto by the hair. It held its blade to her throat and grinned. A blinding light shone in the shadow's eyes as Rise blasted it in the face with her laser. It threw Naoto aside and turned to get the beam out of its face. Using its arm to protect its eyes, they shadow approached Rise. When it was close enough, the shadow swung its sword around at neck level. Rise ducked the attack, planted her spear against her foot, and fired. The spear point crashed through the shadow's chest and emerged from its back in a spray of black liquid. The shadow dropped its own sword and grabbed the spear with both hands. Rise struggled for control of her weapon but the shadow kicked her away. With a sickening slurp the shadow drew the spear out of its chest and then turned the weapon on its owner. Rise dove forward, rolling as she passed the shadow, and grabbed the shadow's dropped sword. She sprung to her feet behind the shadow, spun around, and sliced through the shadow's neck. The shadow, its head severed, fell to the ground, melted and evaporated away.

"Are you guys going to be okay?" Rise asked.

"Give me…an hour." Yosuke groaned. He would be fine.

Naoto lay on the ground clutching her dislocated shoulder. "I'll be alright." She said weakly. It was a lie and Rise knew it. She rushed to Naoto and knelt beside her. "Help me pop it back in." Naoto said.

"What?!" Rise responded. "I can't!"

Naoto sighed, the repositioned herself. "Fine." She said. With a single violent motion she forced the joint back into place, screaming in pain. She took a series of deep breaths, grunting as she exhaled. "There, now I'm ready to fight again." She was not.

"You scare me sometimes." Rise said.

"That fight was really hard." Naoto said.

"Yeah, the shadow was tough." Yosuke agreed.

"No, I mean it was difficult to fight it because it had his face." Naoto clarified. "Even though I knew it wasn't him, it was hard."

"I know what you mean." Rise said.

"It's probably all part of Adachi's plan." Naoto theorized. "I bet he's doing something similar to Team RWBY."

"I hope Yu's doing better than we are." Yosuke said.

* * *

Yang was sure the end was near. The shadow, the visage of her sister, had her at its mercy. It grinned widely and pulled the trigger. Instead of Yang being cut in two, the shadow jerked forward. Yang looked back to see the shadow's copy of Crescent Rose encased in ice and frozen to the floor with Weiss adding more and more. "Yang move!" Weiss shouted. Yang dove aside and out if immediate danger, allowing Weiss to reload Myrtenaster's exhausted supply of ice dust.

Yang charged back at the shadow, delivering an Ember-Celica boosted punch to the side of its head. The shadow staggered back, but the force of the punch helped the shadow break its scythe free of the ice. Yang pressed her attack, attempting a flurry of punches, but she was overextended. In a flash the shadow spun around and smashed the blunt side of Crescent Rose into Yang's face. Yang stumbled but just managed to stay on her feet. The shadow leapt into the air, used shots from its weapon to propel it into a spin, and slammed its weapon down into the top of Yang's head. Yang was crashed to the ground face-first and did not get up.

Weiss swept in on her glyphs, deflecting the shadow's attempt to finish Yang off. She froze the shadow's feet in place and stabbed at it repeatedly, though it managed to dodge every shot. Blake rushed in and pulled Yang away to relative safety while Weiss continued her onslaught. The shadow broke free of the icy snare, pivoted around on its weapon, and kicked Weiss in the face. Weiss was pushed off balance and the shadow did not wait for her to recover. It swung its scythe around, but Weiss managed to catch its blade with hers. The shadow used their relative positioning to hook Weiss and throw her through the air. Weiss kept her composure, caught a glyph, and rocketed back at the shadow. Weiss was not fast enough, and the shadow hit her with an upward swing of its weapon, sending her tumbling upward. The shadow leapt up to match Weiss' flight and used an overhead smash of its weapon to send her crashing back to the ground.

Blake rushed in and knocked the shadow back with a shoulder block. She slashed at the shadow with Gambol Shroud and the shadow struggled to deflect the attacks. Blake too made the mistake of being overly aggressive, and the shadow was able to hook its weapon around her legs, pulling them out from under her. Blake fell on her back and the shadow slammed its weapon down at her. The strike only met with a decoy as Blake rolled out of the way. She threw half of Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, and it wrapped around the shadow's legs. With a tug the shadow as pulled to the ground as well. Blake used another tug on the ribbon to pull herself toward the shadow, but it was not there when she arrived. In a flash the shadow had freed itself and was back on its feet. Blake sprung out of the way as the shadow again brought its weapon crashing down on one of her decoys. Now it was the shadow that was overextended. Blake stabbed it in the gut, Gambol Shroud's blade easily cutting through and drawing a stream of black liquid.

The shadow was not done. It kicked Blake in the front of the knee. Her leg was unable to withstand the force, her knee bent the wrong way, and she fell to the ground in agony. Blake lifted her weapon to fire on the shadow, but it knocked Gambol Shroud away with its own weapon before smashing the blunt side into Blake's face. Dazed, Blake tried to crawl away but the shadow was unrelenting. The shadow stomped its boot down onto Blake's wounded calf, laughing as Blake cried in pain. Apparently satisfied with the degree of pain inflicted, the shadow slammed its blade down just above Blake's shoulder, putting it in position to bisect her from shoulder to hip.

Suddenly the shadow was no longer in contact with the ground. It flailed about as Yang – her eyes red and her hair aflame – lifted it up by the waits and suplexed it headfirst into the ground. The shadow groggily tried to stand but Yang caught it under the jaw with an uppercut. The shadow slammed down on its back and Yang leapt atop it. With one hand pinning the shadow's neck to the ground, she punched it repeatedly in the head. The shadow's head collapsed into a puddle of black liquid and the whole creature melted and evaporated away.

Yang stood up with tears streaming down her face. It may have just been a shadow, but it had her sister's face. She took a moment to regain her composure. The fire faded and her eyes returned to their normal violet hue. She wiped away any lingering tears and was ready to face the others again. "Are you guys alright?" She asked.

"I've been better." Weiss said, flat on her back.

"Just give me a minute." Blake said. She was sitting up, examining her dislocated knee. "I don't think my aura's going to fix this."

Yang walked over to Blake and took a look at her leg. "I'll take care of it." Yang said. She grabbed Blake's leg, and wrenched it back into place. Blake slammed down on her back as the pain shot through her. "All better." Yang said.

"Thanks." Blake growled. She wanted to punch Yang.

"No problem." Yang replied, seemingly unaware of Blake's anger.

"So, do you think the others had to deal with something like this?" Weiss asked, finally on her feet.

"I'd say so." Blake said. "It all seems like it would be part of Adachi's sick plan."

"I hope Ruby's okay." Yang said.


	20. Resolution

Chapter 20

Adachi drew his revolver and leveled it at Ruby. He fired, but in a flurry of rose petals she was gone. Adachi tracked the red blur as she zipped around him, emptying his weapon in a futile attempt to hit her. As soon as he fired his sixth shot, Ruby was there, right in front of him. She swung Crescent Rose around, caught Adachi's revolver with her blade and fired. The recoil slammed the blade clean through Adachi's gun, leaving him holding the handle as most of it fell to the floor. For Adachi, it did not much matter, his weapon was entirely unnecessary given his powers. What worried him was that he had an opponent who could match his speed.

Ruby swung Crescent Rose in a wide arc, aiming the blunt side for Adachi's head. He lifted his arm and stopped the weapon cold. His strength was still unmatched. He extended his arm, forcing the weapon around and causing Ruby to spin as she tried to hold on. Adachi punched straight forward, aiming for the back of Ruby's head, but by the time his fist arrived she had completely ducked the attack. Ruby reached back with Crescent Rose and slipped the blade behind Adachi's legs. She fired, catching Adachi's ankles. He tumbled into the air but recovered and landed on his feet after a backflip.

Ruby's speed was clearly too much so Adachi changed tack. He unleashed a blast of wind into her and Ruby slid across the floor, still on her feet. She dug Crescent Rose's blade into the ground to arrest the slide and put Adachi directly in her crosshairs. Ruby fired but Adachi sidestepped the shot. He reached out his arm and electricity arced between his fingers. Adachi unleashed a bolt of lightning at Ruby, but Yu dove in the way. He caught the electricity on his sword and it dissipated around him. Yu launched his own electric attack as Adachi fired another, and the two met in the middle. A concentrated ball of energy formed and grew until blinding light filled the room. Finally too much, the ball exploded, knocking all the combatants to the ground.

Yu and Adachi sprung up almost immediately. Yu charged, his blade held high as Adachi stood casually. Yu slashed but Adachi ducked out of the way before delivering a punch to Yu's stomach. Yu doubled over and staggered back, and Adachi hit him with another punch to the gut. Adachi jumped away, drew his arms back, and then thrust them forward, unleashing a blast of wind that hit Yu squarely. Yu flew through the air and slammed down on his back beside Ruby, who was just getting to her feet. Ruby charged in to take his place as a dazed Yu regained his bearings.

As the blur of red and rose petals approached, Adachi unleashed another blast of wind. Ruby was moving far too quickly for it to matter. She headed straight for Adachi like a rifle bullet, and Adachi attempted to side-step the attack. Ruby was ready and swung Crescent Rose out to the side at the last moment, catching Adachi in the chest. The force of the impact slammed Adachi down on his back. Ruby arced Crescent Rose over her head and slammed the blade down at Adachi, but he rolled out of the way and countered with a blast of electricity. Ruby convulsed as electricity flowed through her.

Yu crashed into Ruby, pushing her out of Adachi's attack. The electricity transferred to him where it would have no effect. Yu drew his sword and slashed horizontally at Adachi, forcing him to abandon his attack and bend backwards. Yu looped his sword to slash down at Adachi but he was able to dodge this attack as well. This time Yu left no openings for counters. His attacks were lightning quick but carefully executed so as not to leave him vulnerable. A horizontal slash at Adachi's legs forced him to jump, and Yu lunged forward to knock Adachi off balance. Caught in the air, it was all Adachi could do just to stay on his feet. Yu blasted him with electricity and Adachi writhed. Yu pressed forward with his sword, hoping to finish his target while he was stunned, but Adachi was playing possum. As soon as Yu got close Adachi landed a powerful elbow to Yu's face.

Yu was pretty much out on his feet. Adachi disarmed him, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him off the ground. Yu flailed weakly as Adachi squeezed the life out of him. "I have wanted to do this for so long." Adachi hissed.

Adachi saw the flash of red out of the corner of his eye but it was too late to react. Ruby slammed into him at full speed and the two tumbled across the floor as Yu fell to his knees gasping for air. Ruby and Adachi rolled across the floor, struggling to gain the upper hand. Adachi prevailed, ending up with Ruby pinned underneath him. He postured up and slammed his fist down at her as she struggled to defend herself against the onslaught.

A searing ball of flame, courtesy of Yu, slammed into the side of Adachi's head. The fire broke across his aura and Adachi kept punching Ruby. Yu fired a barrage of ice crystals into Adachi, but he ignored them as well. Ruby was losing badly. Her arms were bruised and exhausted, and Adachi's blows increasingly found their mark. Yu launched a gust of wind at Adachi, and this was finally enough to knock him off of Ruby.

Adachi scrambled to his feet as Yu launched blast after blast of wind. They were enough to push Adachi back they were clearly not doing any damage. "Wind is kind of my thing stupid." Adachi sneered as Yu persisted. Adachi was getting annoyed, and though the constant barrage of wind did not hurt him, it prevented him from launching any effective attacks of his own. Electricity would not harm Yu, and the wind Adachi launched back was canceled out by Yu's attacks. At the same time, Yu could not afford to let up or switch to a more effective tactic lest Adachi take him out.

Ruby broke the stalemate. She leapt high into the air, repeatedly fired Crescent Rose up to rocket herself downward, and fired one last off-center shot to send her into a spin. At tremendous speed and with all her weight and strength behind it, she slammed the blunt end of Crescent Rose into the top of Adachi's head. Adachi smashed down face-first, and Ruby sped away to avoid any counter attacks. Adachi stood up unsteadily. Now he was enraged. He looked around for Ruby so he could get his revenge, but what he saw from Yu was far more concerning.

Yu was standing, deep in concentration, with his arms stretched above his head. Adachi looked up to see a massive ball of energy just above him. "Well shit." Adachi sighed. Yu lowered his arms and the ball of energy slammed into Adachi, exploding with a blinding flash and a thunderous rumble. When the light faded Adachi was on the ground on his back, motionless. Yu almost fell over, the attack having exhausted him, but he managed to stay on his feet.

Yu and Ruby carefully approached their downed opponent. He was bruised and burned, and showed no signs that he would further resist. Yu pointed his blade at Adachi, the point at his throat. Ruby converted Crescent Rose into its rifle form and aimed for Adachi's head. "You're coming with me." Yu said. "It's time for you to go back to prison where you belong." The blackness that surrounded them evaporated. They were back in the usual hub, and the others were there too. Everyone looked pretty beaten up.

"Senpai!" Rise exclaimed. "It's the real you!" Her abilities were no longer being blocked.

"Ruby, I'm so relieved you're alright." Yang said.

"Adachi, how did you get the power to control this place?" Yu asked, ignoring the others for now. "How did you even get here? Who's responsible?"

"Who?" Adachi laughed. "It's all me."

"Naoto, cuff him." Yu said.

"Gladly." Naoto said as she approached.

"There's no way you could have done all this on your own." Yu pressed Adachi.

"I don't need anyone's help." Adachi said as Naoto slapped the handcuffs on one of his wrists. "You always assume there's some higher power behind everything, but there isn't."

"Oh no?" A woman's voice came from everywhere and nowhere. The voice was at once soothing and threatening. "For a pawn you have a very inflated opinion of yourself."

"Who is that?" Weiss asked. She drew Myrtenaster and readied for a fight.

"I sense something really powerful." Rise warned.

A white glowing door appeared before them. It opened, and out of a blinding light stepped a woman in a flowing white gown. "Who the hell are you?" Yosuke asked.

"Eris." The woman said. "I am disappointed Tohru. I thought we were working together, even if you did not know it."

"You used me?" Adachi asked.

"You could say that." Eris admitted.

"You bitch!" Adachi shouted. He wrenched free of his captors, reached into his jacket, retrieved a syringe of dust and injected himself. "I'll kill you!" He screamed as electricity and wind erupted around him.

"You'll do nothing of the sort." Eris said calmly. She waved her arm at Adachi and he was briefly bathed in light. When it faded Adachi collapsed in a heap, groaning in pain.

"What did you do to him?" Blake asked.

"I neutralized the dust in his system." Eris said. "It may as well be sand."

"Will it kill him?" Yu asked.

"No, but he is in quite a lot of pain." Eris laughed.

"What's your role in all of this?" Yang asked. "Who, or what, are you?"

"I brought him here." Eris explained. "I gave him his power. I created this place. As for what I am, I guess you would call me a god."

"But why?" Rise asked.

"Chaos." Eris replied. "To create chaos. Pain, suffering, confusion, paranoia, destruction, it sustains me."

"You're a monster!" Ruby shouted.

"Perhaps." Eris said. "But what would you do about it? That one can sense my power." Eris pointed to Rise. "You know very well that you are in no condition to combat me. Luckily, I have no desire to fight you. You have put a temporary stop to my plans, but there is still much to do and I don't have the time to waste on such a pathetic rabble." Teams RWBY and YYRN wanted to fight, but they knew Eris was right. They were in no shape for a battle, particularly one against a god. "If there are no objections, I will take my leave." The group stood stunned and after a brief pause Eris passed back through the spectral door from which she had come. The door faded from existence.

"She's gone." Rise said. "I can't sense her anywhere."

"That was…disconcerting." Weiss said.

"What do we do now?" Yosuke asked.

"I'm not sure there's anything we can do." Yu replied. His focus changed almost instantly. "You guys don't look so good. You must have had a tough fight."

"We had to fight you." Naoto said. "Well, shadow you to be precise."

"That must have been hard." Yu said.

"You have no idea." Rise added.

"And we had to fight a shadow version of Ruby." Blake said.

"It was really tough, and not because it was strong." Yang admitted.

"I'm sorry all of you had to go through that." Ruby said. "It must have been horrible."

"Well, look on the bright side." Yosuke said. "We beat Adachi, so this whole thing's over. For now at least."

"I guess that means you guys will be going back home." Ruby frowned. "We'll miss you."

"You could always just stay here." Yang suggested.

"We can't." Yu said. "There are people back home who need us."

"Enough already, you're making me sick." Adachi groaned. "Why don't you just give me a lecture on the power of friendship?"

"Eris is still out there." Blake said. "We can't rest while she's still a threat."

"We'll be back if she shows up again." Yu promised.

"Yeah, we've defeated gods before." Yosuke added.

"So, am I the only one thinking about how we're going to get home?" Naoto asked. "Yu, I assume you have some way of contacting Margaret."

"Nope." Yu shrugged. "I assumed she'd show up when the time was right."

"Who's Margaret?" Weiss asked.

"I am." Margaret said. She was standing just a few steps away from the group, a glowing blue door behind her.

"Huh, what do you know?" Yosuke said.

"I've already collected the possessions from your dorm room." Margaret reported. "If you would please give me your weapons, I'll hold onto them for safekeeping. It would not be wise to bring them to earth."

"I guess this really is goodbye." Ruby said.

"I hate goodbyes." Yang said.

"I'm sure we'll meet again." Yu assured them.

"Yeah Weiss, I'll be back to win your heart." Yosuke said.

"I really hope I see the three of you again." Weiss said, very obviously leaving Yosuke out.

"Thanks for saving us, and our friends." Blake said.

"No need to thank us." Rise laughed. "Saving people is what we do."

"I think it's time we returned Adachi to prison." Naoto said as she finished cuffing him.

"Until next time." Yu said. He stood beside Margaret as his teammates handed over their weapons and passed through the doorway. Naoto shoved Adachi through as she went. Yu gave Margaret his and walked to the door. Looking back, he gave one last wave and passed through himself.

"You helped them greatly." Margaret said. "You have my thanks."

"It's our duty as Huntresses." Ruby said.

"You've been good friends to them as well." Margaret added. "I will do my best to ensure that you do indeed meet them again." With that she passed through the doorway and it faded from existence.

* * *

"And then they left." Ruby finished telling Ozpin what had happened.

"It's a shame I was unable to properly thank them for all they did." Ozpin said. He took a sip of his coffee. "They did Beacon, Vale and all of Remnant a great service."

"Yeah, it's sad that they had to leave so soon." Ruby sighed.

"Ruby, if given the opportunity, would you do as they did?" Ozpin asked. "Would you travel far from home to assist strangers in their time of need, expecting nothing in return? Would you put your life on the line?"

"Of course I would; that's what being a Huntress is all about." Ruby said. "I wouldn't even hesitate."

Ozpin smiled. "Thank you for your time." He said. "You can go now."

* * *

Yu, Yosuke, Rise and Naoto stepped through the doorway and found themselves on the Samagawa Flood Plain. During a brief visit to the Velvet Room, Margaret had assured them that she would handle taking Adachi to prison. "So, how long were we gone?" Yosuke asked.

"It was over a week at least." Rise said. "Everyone must be really worried."

"Margaret said she would handle that." Naoto reminded them.

Yu pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and checked the date and time. "It's still the day we left." Yu said. "It's been a few hours, but that's all the time that's passed."

"That's a relief." Rise said. "My career is just getting back on track. If I went missing again that might be the end."

"Do you think Team RWBY will be alright without us?" Yosuke asked. "What if Eris comes back?"

"I'm sure Margaret will be in touch if they need help." Yu replied.

"Besides, they're tough and so are their friends." Naoto added. "I'm sure they could handle it."

"Oh, I just remembered!" Rise exclaimed. "With all the action, I forgot to mention it. How would you guys like to go on a trip next month?"

"What kind of trip?" Yu asked.

"I'm going to New York City for an appearance at some convention." Rise explained. "I only agreed to do it if I could bring some friends along."

"I'm down." Yosuke said.

"It would be nice to travel for something other than investigations." Naoto said.

"Definitely." Yu agreed. "It sounds like fun."

"Alright!" Rise cheered. "It'll be so awesome!"

* * *

 **End Volume 1**

 **It will return...**


	21. Welcome to Earth

**Volume 2**

Chapter 21

Beacon was much busier than usual. With the tournament rapidly approaching, more visiting combatants had arrived, and training had reached its peak. While exciting, it was also exhausting. By the end of the day Ruby was spent. Her muscles ached and the only thing she could think about was rest. Her usually boundless energy and enthusiasm was sapped. She headed back to her dorm room looking forward to a few hours of sorely needed rest. Every step was a struggle. She leaned against the wall as she used her Scroll to unlock it. The door clicked and Ruby pushed it open.

Someone was sitting on Weiss' bed, but it was not Weiss. For a moment Ruby was filled with panic. An intruder! Then her frazzled mind managed to drag itself together to identify the woman. "Margaret?" She said with exceptional confusion. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to have startled you." Margaret said. "I understand this is a busy time for you and your friends, but I'm afraid time is not on our side."

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked. She wondered if she was hallucinating.

"I'm sure you still recall how Yu and his friends aided this world." Margaret continued. "It seems the time has come for you to return the favor."

"What happened?" Ruby asked with growing concern. "Are they in trouble?"

"Not yet, but events are unfolding rapidly." Margaret replied. "They face great peril, and your assistance could tip the scales in their favor."

"Hey Ruby, why did you leave the door open?" Yang asked as she pushed her way in. She was soon followed by Blake and Weiss. They were quickly overtaken by looks of surprise and confusion as they noticed Margaret's presence.

"Good, you're all here." Margaret said. "Gather your weapons. I would also recommend a change of clothes. Hurry, the sooner you get to earth the better."

"Whoa, we can't just leave now." Yang said. "We've got way too much going on."

"Besides, our absence will not go unnoticed." Blake said. "Lots of people would be worried if we just disappeared."

"I am aware of your concerns." Margaret said. "I will take care of everything. Yu and his friends, possibly his entire universe, face great danger. They need your help."

"We'll do it." Ruby said. "They were here for us, and we'll be there for them."

* * *

"You didn't have to make Aigis follow me around." Akihiko said. "You can trust me to go to class and do my work."

"I felt it was a necessary precaution." Mitsuru countered. "I can't risk you disappearing on one of your journeys. Your education is of paramount importance." Mitsuru's phone rang, shattering the silence that pervaded the garden at her family's mansion. She slipped it out of her pocked and took a look. She did not recognize the number. Normally she would not answer, but she had a strange feeling that it was important. She accepted the call. "Kirijo." She answered.

"I didn't know who else to call." A panicked voice said on the other end. "I'm in trouble."

"Amada, what's wrong?" Mitsuru asked.

"Something's going on." Ken said. "Something with shadows and that Midnight Channel like in Inaba."

"Where are you?" Mitsuru asked.

"New York." Ken replied.

"New York, in the United States?" Mitsuru was surprised to hear that. The last time she had been in contact with Ken he was attending Gekkoukan High School. "What are you doing there?"

"There's no time to explain." Ken said. There was a commotion in the background. "Oh no, he found me."

"Who?" Mitsuru asked desperately. Ken did not respond. She could hear the sound of a struggle, followed by silence as the connection was suddenly severed. "Amada!" She slammed her phone down on the table. "Amada's in trouble. Akihiko, make sure Aigis, Labrys, and Yamagishi are ready to move."

"I'm on it." Akihiko said. He rushed off to get Aigis who was somewhere else on the mansion grounds.

"Saikawa!" Mitsuru called.

One of her maids rushed to Mitsuru's side. "Yes?" She said.

"See to it that two jets are ready for flight to the United States." Mitsuru ordered. "One will be leaving as soon as the others are ready. Collect the auxiliary Shadow Operatives and prepare them for transport. You'll be accompanying them in the other jet. I'll give you the details once I've made arrangements with my contacts in the American government."

"Right away." Kikuno bowed politely then rushed off to complete her assigned tasks. The Shadow Operatives would pull out all the stops to rescue one of their own.

* * *

"Man, that flight was hell." Yosuke complained. "I'm so glad to finally be back on the ground."

"There was a lot more turbulence than my last flight." Naoto said. "Still, I'm surprised you vomited so much."

"Oh come on, it was like a roller coaster ride!" Yosuke defended himself.

"I didn't think it was so bad." Yu shrugged.

"I still can't believe you slept through the whole thing." Yosuke said. "It felt like there were speedbumps in the air!"

After an uneventful trip through customs and picking up their luggage, the trio headed out of the terminal. They had landed in Newark and a friend of Naoto's would be driving them to New York City to meet up with Rise. Their instructions were simple, exit the terminal and head all the way to the right. Their ride would be waiting. Down at the end of the terminal they spotted a tall, slightly overweight man in a suit leaning against a black sedan. He looked bored, but his expression changed to one of relief when he saw the group.

"This is my friend detective Waters." Naoto introduced him. "We once worked together on a case. Waters, these are my friends Yu and Yosuke."

Waters shook their hands firmly then helped load their luggage into his trunk. "So, what brings you here this time?" Waters asked as they packed into his car.

"Our friend invited us." Naoto explained. "She's doing a panel at Comic Con and then a concert a few days from now." Waters started the car and pulled out onto the road.

"That wouldn't happen to be Rise Kujikawa, would it?" Waters asked. Naoto nodded. "I didn't know she was doing shows in the US."

"She's only doing this one and one other in California." Naoto explained. "Her American fan base isn't that large but she's gaining a following."

"Well, I hope you kids have fun." Waters said. "Try not to get into any trouble." Waters' driving had become alarming. He screamed down the highway at high speed, weaving in and out of traffic. For Yu and Yosuke, it was a terrifying experience. Naoto seemed unconcerned. "And Shirogane, maybe don't do any photoshoots." Naoto grew flustered and her face turned bright red.

"Oh calm down kid." Waters laughed. "I'm just messing with you."

"What's that about?" Yosuke asked. No one answered him.

"So, where exactly am I taking you?" Waters asked.

"Let me get the hotel's address." Naoto said as she pulled some folded papers out of her coat.

Before Naoto could read it out Waters glanced over and read it himself, all the while still driving like a maniac. "Wow, that's a fancy place." Waters said. "I don't think I could afford to stay there for an hour."

"Rise booked it." Naoto said. "Well, her agent did. Her agency is paying for the trip."

"Why can't I have friends like that?" Waters asked rhetorically. "How do you know each other anyway?"

"It's a long story." Yu said. His English was just a good as Naoto's. "Even if we told you, you wouldn't believe it."

* * *

"What's Ken doing in New York?" Akihiko asked. The sleek business jet carrying the regular members of the Shadow Operatives was already over the American west coast. It was quiet, smooth and luxurious, a combination that had encouraged its human occupants to spend the earlier portion of the flight sleeping. Even so, their rest had been fitful at best given the circumstances. They were all worried about their friend.

"He's participating in a study abroad program." Mitsuru explained. "I contacted the instructors in charge and they confirmed his disappearance."

"What are we heading into?" Akihiko asked. "I don't like going in blind. Knowing your opponent is half the battle."

"Unfortunately we don't have any intelligence regarding shadow activity in the United States." Mitsuru said. "I've got some of my contacts working on it, but most if it's over their heads."

"I have found one interesting piece of information." Aigis chimed in. "Apparently Rise Kujikawa is scheduled to appear in an event in New York City later today. Given her involvement in both Inaba incidents I would suggest that her presence is not a coincidence."

"Do you think she knows something we don't?" Akihiko wondered aloud.

"I don't plan to involve her." Mitsuru said. "I want the Inaba group to be able to live their lives in peace. I'm sure that whatever we're facing, we can handle it."

* * *

When Ruby awoke she was lying in a field. She felt ill and her head hurt. She looked around, finding the rest of her team in a similar state of disorientation. They were surrounded by nature, but something did not add up. It was the sound. They could hear what could only be described as mechanical noises. "Where are we?" Ruby asked.

"Earth I would assume." Blake replied. "It doesn't seem very different from Remnant."

"How are we supposed to find Yu and his friends?" Ruby asked. "My scroll isn't working." Margaret had warned the group that their technology was not compatible with this particular universe. Apparently, dust did not exist so their weapons would be mostly inert. Luckily, they should still work in the Shadow World. That did not help now though.

"Well, there's a path." Yang pointed. "We should probably follow it."

A man in a blue uniform walked out of the trees. He stared at Team RWBY in confusion for a moment before approaching them. "Christ, the costumes get weirder every year." The man said. "What are you doing in Central Park? The convention's that way you know." He pointed in the general direction of the path.

"Actually, we're looking for someone." Weiss said. "Do you know Yu Narukami?"

"Yu Naru-whatnow?" The man said. "Never heard of him. Is he some anime guy? I'm just a police officer, I don't know shit about all that. Go ask someone at the convention."

"That sounds like as good an idea as any." Ruby said. "Thanks anyway." The police officer shrugged and continued his patrol. The group picked up their bags and headed off in the direction he had indicated as the way to the convention, whatever that was. It was their best shot and besides, how far away could it be?

Very far apparently. Soon the quartet emerged from the park and into the center of a bustling metropolis. Yang asked a passerby where the convention was and found out it was quite far away indeed. They would have to do some walking.

"The buildings here are huge, and there's so many people." Ruby said, in awe of her surroundings. "There's nothing like it in Vale."

"Don't get distracted." Weiss admonished. "We're here for a reason, not to see the sights."

Their journey was made much simpler by the fact that the streets were a simple numbered grid. It took some time, but they arrived at the convention without any serious difficulty. Unfortunately they would have to wait outside. It was clear that tickets were needed for entry, and though Margaret had supplied some local currency, they did not appear to be on sale. They would have to wait outside and hope Team YYRN crossed their path.

Much to their surprise, lots of people wanted pictures of them. Yang seemed to be in her element, but for the others it was strange and nerve-racking. Unlike in the rest of the city, here they seemed to fit in a bit. Most people attending the convention wore boring, everyday clothing, but quite a few were dressed in a fashion not much different from their own. For some reason, most people treated it like a novelty or a game. For Team RWBY, their manner of dress was normal, but here it seemed to generate great curiosity.

* * *

Rise had been asked to appear on a Comic Con panel because of some voice over work she had done before her break from acting. She was a voice actress on an anime series, and now it was getting an English language dub. The production company thought it would be interesting to have the original Japanese voice actress there along with her English language counterpart. With Rise already in the area for a show, the arrangements were easy to make. Unfortunately, the event was not the big hit everyone had hoped. The first problem was that few people were in attendance. Apparently the schedule put them in conflict with some very popular events, and the anime series with a cult following could not compete. The second problem was the language barrier. Rise's English was poor and all questions and answers had to go through an interpreter. It made her interactions slow and awkward. Then there was the fact that as the voice of a secondary character, the fans were not particularly interested in Rise. By the end, she was just glad it was over.

"That could have gone better." Rise sighed. "On the plus side, now I get to spend some time with you guys."

"It wasn't that bad." Yu reassured her. The group began making its way out of the convention center. It was evening and the convention was wrapping up for the day.

"Maybe, but I'm exhausted." Rise said. "You guys must be too. You just flew in this morning."

"It was a rather stressful flight." Naoto said.

"That's the understatement of the century." Yosuke added. "I definitely need a rest."

"I guess we should just head to the hotel for the night." Yu said. They emerged from the convention center and into the cool autumn evening air.

"Yeah, we can go sightseeing tomorrow." Rise said. "We've got over a week anyway."

"I can't believe you booked us two suites." Naoto said. "It must have cost a fortune."

"Only the best for a celebrity and her entourage." Rise laughed. "It's a shame the others couldn't make it."

"Yeah, they're all busy." Yosuke said. "Yukiko's inn was too busy for her to leave, Kanji said his stuffed animals are too popular for him to take a break from making them, Chie's training to be a cop and Junes sent Teddie on a promotional tour."

"What's going on over there?" Yu asked, pointing to a large group of people. They were clearly gathered around something or someone, many of them taking pictures. "Let's check it out." He led the group over to see what the fuss was about. Pushing into the group far enough to see, Yu could barely believe his eyes. It was Team RWBY! "What are you guys doing here?" He asked.

"Finally!" Weiss shouted. "Let's get out of here. I'm sick of just standing around."

"Five more minutes." Yang said as she playfully posed for more pictures. Blake grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away. The crowd broke up, the photo op clearly over.

"We were hoping you guys would show up." Ruby said. "Margaret dropped us in the middle of a park and we had no idea how to find you. We thought this convention was as good a place as any."

"Why did she bring you here?" Yosuke asked.

"Margaret said you guys could be in danger." Ruby replied. "After the way you helped us, we couldn't stay away."

"Did she say what kind of danger?" Rise asked.

"No, just that we could help." Ruby answered.

"I'm amazed you were able to walk around the city with those weapons." Naoto said. "I guess with Comic Con in town, people just assumed they were props."

"What's going on with all this?" Blake asked. "Why are people so interested in taking pictures of us?"

"Didn't you notice all the people in costume?" Yosuke asked. "People dress up like their favorite characters to attend conventions like this."

"People in costume?" Blake did not follow.

"I guess given the everyday attires common on Remnant, the costumes don't seem all that strange." Naoto said. "It couldn't have worked out better though. If it was any other weekend you would have really stuck out."

"Did you bring any clothes that won't stand out as much?" Yosuke asked. "I'm not sure how long you guys can go walking around the city like that without it becoming an issue."

"I guess our other outfits are a little lower key." Blake said. "I still don't see what the big deal is."

"So Rise, do you think you can book another suite?" Yu asked.

"The agency won't be happy, but I think I can make it happen." Rise replied.

"Let's head to the hotel." Naoto suggested. "We need to figure out what's going on, and it will be helpful if we're all well rested."

* * *

"So, where should we go first?" Yosuke asked as the group emerged from their hotel. The luxurious accommodations had indeed provided for a restful night's sleep as hoped, even if they were worried about the implications of Margaret's warning.

"Maybe Times Square?" Rise suggested. "Everyone always talks about it."

A black SUV with darkly tinted windows screamed around the corner and screeched to a stop just in front of the group. The door swung open and a purple haired woman in a maid's outfit stepped out. "Yu Narukami, Rise Kujikawa, Yosuke Hanamura and Naoto Shirogane, I need you to come with me. There's been an incident."

"It has to do with shadows right?" Ruby asked. "I bet this is what Margaret warned us about."

"Who are you?" The maid asked. "How do you have knowledge of shadows?"

"These are our friends." Yu explained. "They've fought shadows before. How about we go up to one of our rooms so you can tell us what happened."

The maid thought for a moment. "Given the circumstances, I think this violation of protocol will be forgiven." She said. "Please lead on."

The headed up to one of the suites where the matter could be discussed in private, not that any member of the general public would have any idea what they were talking about anyway. "You're with the Shadow Operatives, correct?" Naoto asked. "You work for Mitsuru Kirijo."

"Yes, I am Kikuno Saikawa." The maid said. "Just over 48 hours ago, there was an incident involving shadows and the Midnight Channel here in New York. Ken Amada, I believe you met him, called to warn us just before disappearing. The main unit of the Shadow Operatives and all available auxiliaries responded to the crisis, but they too have gone missing. When I learned of your presence here I knew it couldn't be a coincidence. You're the only ones left I for me to turn to. Please, I need you to save them before it's too late."


	22. Pleasant Dreams

Chapter 22

"I don't know, we were kind of in the middle of a vacation…of course we'll help." Yosuke said. "It's the least we can do after they helped save Inaba."

"That's quite a relief." Kikuno said. "There are others who can assist, but it would take days to get them together. Time is of the essence. So, you four, are you from Inaba as well?"

"Actually they're from a parallel universe." Yu replied. "You know about Sho and Adachi. We chased those two to their world and they helped us make the captures."

"I actually believe you." Kikuno said. "I'd be honored to have your assistance as well."

"Of course." Ruby said. "It's our job to help people."

"I'm not sure what the means, but thank you." Kikuno said.

"So, where and when were your last contacts with the Operatives?" Naoto asked.

"They've been missing since last night at around eight." Kikuno replied. "They followed a tip that led to an abandoned warehouse not far from here. I lost contact once they went inside. Yamagishi tried to send a distress call, but she was cut off before she was able to give any information."

"I guess our first step is to check the warehouse." Yang said. "Has anyone been inside to check?"

"No, only non-combat staff remains." Kikuno explained. "We're not equipped for a fight, and it would only make the situation worse if we were lost too."

"That's alright, we'll reconnoiter ourselves." Naoto said.

"I'll remain outside to facilitate communications." Kikuno said. "Do you all have working cellphones with you?"

"I didn't pay for an international plan, so I don't." Yosuke said.

"We don't have any technology from this world." Blake said.

"That's fine; we'll stop to pick some up on the way." Kikuno said. "Let's hurry."

* * *

The group arrived at the warehouse. The Shadow Operatives had gone in but never come out. "The outside's clear." Naoto reported. "The building does not connect to any others and there is no one in the area besides us."

"Let's get to it then." Yosuke said. He stepped up to the front door and grasped the handle.

"Wait!" Kikuno called. "You're not properly equipped. It's my understanding that your Persona abilities do not function outside of the Shadow World. You can't go in unarmed."

"We didn't bring weapons." Rise said. "We were only expecting a relaxing vacation."

"That's not a problem." Kikuno said. She opened the back of the Shadow Operatives' SUV. "I brought them." She retrieved a Katana and handed it to Yu. It looked as if it was a genuine piece or at least one made by traditional methods. "After the last incident in Inaba it became clear to the Shadow Operatives that you all might one day become members or at least be utilized in case of emergency. With the assistance of the Kirijo Group I made weapons specifically for your use." She handed a pair of Kunai to Yosuke. They were surprisingly light and fit Yosuke's hands perfectly. "When I found out you were in the area, I thought you might end up involved so I had them rushed here. They specially designed for shadow suppression and should be much more effective than ordinary weapons." Kikuno slapped a magazine into an assault rifle and handed it to Naoto. The black bullpup gun had a holographic sight, multiple firing modes and a foregrip. "Kujikawa, I wasn't sure what you would want, but I guessed you'd be more comfortable with something smaller." Kikuno produced a stun baton for Rise. "You don't need to hit hard, any contact will deliver a powerful electric shock to the target." She closed the back of the SUV. "I'm afraid I don't have anything for the rest of you."

"That's alright, we came prepared." Ruby said. She slid Crescent Rose off of her back and unfolded it.

"They're not costume props." Weiss added as she drew Myrtenaster. "They're finely tuned deadly weapons."

"It sounds like we're ready to go." Yang said. "Open it up."

Yosuke opened the door and the group rushed inside, weapons drawn. They found themselves in an expansive dark room. Rise felt her way along the wall. "I've got the lights." She announced. She flipped the switch and the lights flickered on to reveal a mostly empty room. On the far side were eight beds. On the wall behind them was a large flat-screen TV. Naoto walked to one of the beds to find that Mitsuru was in it, apparently sleeping. Each bed was occupied by a Shadow Operative, and they all looked beat up. At least they were still breathing. Naoto grabbed Mitsuru by the shoulder and shook her. There was no response.

"Are they unconscious?" Blake asked, looking over Yukari. "They look injured." Yukari had a black eye and a trickle of dried blood from the edge of her mouth.

Naoto carefully examined Mitsuru. Her arm appeared to be broken and her face was bruised. "She's breathing normally." Naoto reported. She pulled back Mitsuru's eyelid to reveal her rapidly twitching eye. "I'd need an EEG to confirm it but I'd say she's asleep." Naoto turned to the next bed, holding Akihiko. His shoulder was dislocated and dried blood surrounded his nostrils. Naoto pulled back his eyelid. "He is too. Strange, disturbing them like this should wake them."

"Maybe it's not natural sleep." Rise theorized. "I might be some kind of shadow-related condition."

"The area's secure." Yu reported. "We should get Kikuno."

A short phone call later and Kikuno rushed in. She went down the line giving each Operative the same simple examination Naoto had started until she reached Aigis and Labrys. For them she pulled a small device out of her pocket and plugged it into each robot's arm in turn. "It would appear that they're all sleeping." Kikuno confirmed. "Well, dreaming to be precise."

"Aigis and Labrys are robots, can they even dream?" Yosuke asked.

"Aigis has reported dreaming." Kikuno replied. "They are all exhibiting the symptoms of REM sleep, even the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons."

"They're robots that dream?" Blake asked with surprise. "That means they must be sentient. They must have personalities."

"Yes, Aigis and Labrys may be mechanical, but their minds are quite human." Kikuno said. "Personality development, particularly the development of an ego, is integral to the manifestation of Persona abilities."

"Wow, we don't have anything like that on Remnant." Yang said.

"Well, there is…never mind." Ruby started and cut herself off before she said too much.

"None of them seem to have suffered life-threatening injuries." Kikuno said. "Aigis and Labrys have suffered severe damage but their core systems are untouched."

"So why won't they wake up?" Rise asked.

"I don't know." Kikuno admitted. "It must have something to do with the shadow activity Amada reported. Until we find the exact cause, we'll need some medical equipment to keep them alive. I'll see to the acquisition of the relevant devices."

"Why don't we just take them to a hospital?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know if it's safe to move them." Kikuno answered. "I would rather not take the risk. For the time being we'll treat them here. Can you keep watch over them while I make the necessary arrangements?"

"You can count on us." Yu said.

* * *

It took hours for Kikuno to acquire the medical equipment and hook the Shadow Operatives up. All the while they slept peacefully, never leaving the REM stage. It turned out to be a miserable night, cold, windy and rainy. "They should all be stable now." Kikuno said. "Now we can focus on finding out how to wake them up."

"We don't have any leads." Yosuke sighed. "We looked around and there are no security cameras anywhere near here. The only people who can tell us what happened are unconscious."

The alarm on Yu's phone went off to indicate it was midnight. The television on the wall turned on as yellow-tinted static filled the screen. Instead of resolving into any kind of image, the static remained. "And now we have a lead." Naoto said.

"Must you disturb them?" A deep and heavily distorted voice came from the TV.

"I take it you're the one behind this." Blake said. "Why not show yourself?"

"Can you not understand what is best for them?" The voice questioned, ignoring Blake.

"What do you mean?" Rise asked.

"They are truly happy now." The voice said. "Just leave them be."

"How can they be happy?" Yang asked with simmering anger. "They're unconscious."

"They are ensconced in pleasant dreams." The voice said. "Their lives, the world they must face every day, are filled with so much pain. New worlds have been created in which the causes of their pain have been removed. No longer must they hurt. Would you rob them of that?"

"I don't care what you say." Ruby said. "Living in a dream isn't living. Life can be painful, but pretending the bad things didn't happen won't solve anything."

"We cannot leave them like this." Kikuno said. "They would not want this."

"You are resolved then?" The voice said. "Very well." The voice went silent and the television faded to black.

"Many questions remain unanswered, but I'd call that a lead." Naoto said. "Given that the culprit is using the Midnight Channel, I think it's safe to assume that entering the TV will be the only way to free their minds. The Shadow World is a manifestation of unconscious human thought, so it stands to reason that their dream worlds exist somewhere therein."

"Even if we find their dream worlds, what then?" Rise asked. "How do we wake them up?"

"Maybe if we cause enough chaos the dream will break down." Weiss suggested. "They might not even realize they're dreaming. If we can force them to see the truth, it could wake them up."

"That sounds like a plan." Yang said. "Let's get to it."

"Perhaps you should rest first." Kikuno suggested. "It's been a long and stressful day. If you're going to rescue them, you'll need to be at your best. There are no second chances here."

"We'll get started tomorrow then." Yu said. "We'll be ready."

* * *

Upon arriving at the warehouse the following day, Teams RWBY and YYRN found it buzzing with activity. A dozen doctors attended to the unconscious Shadow Operatives while a group of scientists attended to the robots. "Kikuno, what's going on?" Naoto asked. "Who are these people?"

"I called in all the specialists I could find once we determined the Operatives' condition." Kikuno explained. "They only got here about an hour ago. The doctors have worked previous shadow-related cases and those are some of the same researchers that developed the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons. Unfortunately the majority of qualified individuals in both categories are deceased."

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about their care." Rise said.

"They're in good hands." Kikuno confirmed. "That said, it would be best to move as quickly as possible."

"We'll get right on it then." Ruby said. "Should we use the TV here?"

"Everyone here's in on the secret, so there's no point hiding it." Yosuke said. "We may as well use this one."

* * *

The transition into the Shadow World was as disorienting as usual. Once the group came to their senses they found themselves in a long, dimly lit hallway. Walls covered in wood panels and wallpaper stretched on, broken up by doors. Eight doors. The place exuded a feeling of sadness and fear. "Well, I'd better make us an exit now, just in case." Yosuke said. He turned around to do it but found a TV there, much like the one he was about to produce. "That's interesting."

"Let me check that out." Rise said. "Kouzeon!" The image of a six-armed woman in an elegant gown, with a telescope for a head, appeared behind Rise, holding an eyepiece in front of Rise's face. "That's a normal exit alright." Rise confirmed.

"What was that!?" Ruby exclaimed as the rest of her team looked on in shock.

"Oh yeah, you've never seen a Persona." Yosuke said. "It's a bit hard to explain."

"In our world, we can't use our powers without summoning a Persona." Yu explained. "We actually use them to do most of our fighting."

"So there's already an exit here." Naoto thought aloud, ignoring the Persona conversation. "Perhaps the perpetrator has been moving in and out of here."

"Do you think we have Personas?" Ruby asked. "How would we even know?"

"You might." Yu shrugged. "You could try to summon one."

"How would that even work?" Weiss asked.

"Well, try to use your semblances." Yu suggested. "They're the closest thing to an equivalent I can think of. Really concentrate."

"Hit me." Yang said. The others just looked at her. "To activate my semblance, come on." Blake walked up and slapped her. Nothing happened. "You'll have to do better than that." Ruby snuck up behind Yang, grabbed her by the hair and ripped a few strands of her hair out. Yang grabbed the back of her head and spun around. "You'll pay for that!" Yang was engulfed in purple flame. Behind her the image of a beautiful winged woman dressed in flowing if somewhat revealing robes appeared. "Come on Turan!" She shouted the name of her Persona.

"It worked!" Ruby cheered. Yang's Persona reached out its hand and launched a fireball at Ruby. "Eep!" Ruby tried to use her semblance to zip out of the way, but instead she too was engulfed in a purple flame. The visage of a woman shrouded in a white cloak appeared before Ruby and deflected the fireball with a blast of wind. "M-mom?" Ruby stammered as she stared at the glowing figure. Yang's Persona faded and Ruby's followed suit.

"Your Persona is…your mother?" Weiss asked. They all knew about Ruby's mother Summer. They knew how Ruby idolized her, and how much she missed her since her death. Ruby having her mother as her Persona was at the same time beautiful and tragic.

Tears trickled down Ruby's cheek. "I'm sorry about attacking you…and your Persona…" Yang started as she hugged Ruby tightly.

"No, it's okay." Ruby said as she squirmed away. "I just…I wasn't expecting it."

"Well, that put a damper on things." Rise said.

"I guess we should see if we can summon Personas too." Blake sighed. She no longer felt like doing much of anything.

"Yeah, I guess so." Weiss agreed though her heart was not in it either.

Blake black flipped in an attempt to generate one of her doubles. Instead she was bathed in purple flame. The image of a woman clad in leather armor, wielding a gilded bow appeared. She held two arrows, one brilliant and glowing, and the other impossibly dark, and her bow crackled with electricity. "My Persona is Diana." Blake said as it faded.

Weiss tried to generate a glyph but instead was surrounded by purple flames. The visage of a female knight in ornate armor, wielding a longsword of flame and a shield of ice, appeared. "Ananke." Weiss said. Her Persona slowly faded.

"What do they do?" Yang asked. "I don't want to try to have my Persona do something only to find out it can't."

"Good thing for you I've been keeping track." Rise said, Kouzeon just beginning to fade. "Yang, you can use fire based attacks and can boost everyone's defenses. Ruby's can use wind and boost everyone's speed. Blake, yours controls light and darkness based attacks along with electricity. Weiss has fire and ice."

"Now that we've got that out of the way, I guess we should get down to business." Naoto said. "Who should we rescue first?"

"I can't really tell who's behind what door." Rise said. "It's really hazy like there's some kind of interference."

"We might as well just do the first one then." Blake said. She walked up to the door. "There's something written on it. 'Betrayal'. What do you think that means?"

"Maybe it's a clue to whose dream it is." Naoto suggested. "Unfortunately we don't know much about their pasts."

"Let's just go in and find out." Yang said. She pushed past Blake and shoved the door open.

* * *

"I know this place." Yosuke said. "This is that school we visited on our trip to Port Island." The ultra-modern school gleamed in the sunlight as students milled about, but there was something wrong. The students did not seem to notice the new arrivals and something about the place felt off.

"Yeah, this is Gekkoukan High School." Rise confirmed.

"Interesting, the Shadow Operatives attended this school." Naoto said. "Their organization was originally a club at the school. The school also served as a research laboratory for the Kirijo Group and the source of the shadow incident they faced."

"How do you know all that?" Weiss asked.

"I investigated the Kirijo Group and the Shadow Operatives on the behalf of the Japanese government." Naoto explained. "The Kirijo Group's past is a horror show, but under Mitsuru they have really turned things around. She seems committed to correcting the wrongs of her family's past."

"Do you think this is her world?" Ruby asked.

"It's not." Rise replied, Kouzeon looming over her. "This is Ken's. He's somewhere in here but I can't tell exactly where. Wherever he is, a strong shadow is with him."

"What about the students, are they shadows too?" Blake asked with her hand on Gambol Shroud. She eyed the students as they filed past, entirely oblivious.

"No, I don't think they're real." Rise said. "They're like holograms. There are several shadows nearby though. I could tell you where if it wasn't for this damn interference."

"We'll just have to look around then." Yu said. He walked forward, heading into the school.

Past a cluster of lockers the room opened up into an expansive atrium. The architecture was futuristic. "Are all schools on earth this impressive?" Weiss asked.

"No, Gekkoukan is funded by the Kirijo Group." Naoto replied. "Most schools aren't nearly this nice."

"Yeah, Yasogami, our high school, is a dump by comparison." Yosuke said.

"Guys!" Rise shouted. "There's a shadow coming!"


	23. Revenge

Chapter 23

An older man in a suit, bizarrely wearing a samurai helmet, marched toward the group. "You shouldn't be here." He boomed in a distorted robotic voice.

"I take it that's our shadow." Yosuke said. Rise nodded.

The shadow melted into a black puddle before forming into a tall and heavily armored samurai. Black armor accented with white covered its entire body and its face was shrouded by a red mask. The shadow wielded an oversized katana. "Well, let's put our new Personas to the test." Blake said. "Diana!" Blake's Persona materialized above her grasping a black arrow in its hand. Rather than firing it from its bow, the Persona shattered the arrow in its hand.

"Wait, don't!" Rise warned.

A black circle appeared below the shadow. It collapsed upon itself but the only result was a blinding flash of light. The shadow laughed as the circle reappeared below Blake and her Persona. The circle collapsed and Blake's Persona disappeared as she went limp and collapsed in a heap. "What just happened?" Weiss demanded.

"It reflects darkness and light based attacks." Rise explained. "Naoto, don't waste your effort."

"Turan!" Yang shouted, summoning her Persona as she charged at the shadow. Her Persona sailed through the air above her, launching explosive fireballs at the shadow. Flames engulfed the shadow but when they died down the shadow still stood. Yang leapt into a punch, striking the shadow directly in the face. A blast from Ember Celica added force to the blow and the shadow stumbled back. The shadow shielded its face with one arm while Yang continued with a flurry of punches. Striking only its armor, Yang was doing little damage, and the shadow soon countered by kicking her in the stomach. She was knocked off balance and the shadow pressed the advantage with a shoulder block that knocked Yang onto her back. The shadow slashed at her with its katana but Turan flew in and absorbed the strike. For Yang the blow was as painful as if it had hit her directly and she grunted in pain as her Persona began to fade into static.

A blast of wind pushed the shadow back as Ruby rushed in, flanked by her Persona. While her Persona pushed the shadow around with gusts of wind, Ruby propelled herself toward the shadow with backward blasts of Crescent Rose. She swung her weapon around and slammed it into the shadow's midsection, lifting it off the ground, before knocking it back down with a powerful blast of wind from her Persona. The shadow sprung to its feet and engaged Ruby in frantic close combat, swinging its sword wildly and forcing Ruby to give up her attacks in order to block.

"Ruby, duck!" Weiss shouted as a fireball sailed through the air, courtesy of her Persona. Ruby dropped to the ground and the fireball slammed into the shadow's face. With the shadow blinded by flames, Ruby hooked its legs and fired Crescent Rose, taking the shadow's legs out from under it. Weiss' Persona thrust its shield forward, unleashing a stream of ice that encased most of the shadow's body.

"Its weak spot is its face." Rise said.

Ruby retracted Crescent Rose into its gun form and placed the end of the barrel against the shadow's mask. The shadow struggled to free itself from the ice but it was stuck. Ruby fired and a stream of black liquid shot up from the resulting hole in the shadow's mask. The shadow stopped struggling, melted and evaporated away.

Weiss knelt beside Blake who was just beginning to regain consciousness. "What happened?" Blake groaned as she sat up.

"Light and darkness attacks instantly neutralize the target." Naoto explained. "If it works on a shadow, it means instant death, but luckily for you, the reflected attack only effected your Persona which knocked you out."

"You need to be careful with those attacks." Rise warned. "Naoto's immune, so if her attacks are reflected, it doesn't matter, but you're not."

"I'll keep that in mind." Blake grumbled, in pain and embarrassed by her quick defeat. "How did it go otherwise?"

"For your first fight using Personas I'd say that went pretty well." Yu said. "I'm sure you'll only get better the more you use them."

"You could have helped you know." Weiss said.

"I thought you wanted to test your new powers." Yu shrugged.

"Maybe next time you can show us how the pros do it." Ruby suggested.

"Sure, why not?" Yu agreed.

"Maybe I'll actually get more than one shot off next time." Blake said as Weiss and Yang helped her to her feet.

"I think our plan's working." Naoto said. "Notice anything different about this place?" The others looked around but none could come up with an answer. "The people are gone." She finally told them. "They may have just been scenery but now they're gone. I think the dream is beginning to break down."

"It would help if we knew exactly what was keeping the dream going though." Yosuke said. "We can cause chaos all we want, but if there's something that insulates Ken from it, it might not be enough."

"I'm sure if we can find Ken we'll find the key to all this." Rise said. "The jamming effect on my abilities is weakening. I still can't tell exactly where he is, but I do know he's that way." She pointed down a corridor lined with classrooms.

* * *

After walking through the corridor and searching classrooms with no results, they passed through a set of double doors that took them outside into an enclosed courtyard. A path lined with columns led to another building. "The door's locked." Yosuke said as he pulled on the doors to what looked like a gymnasium.

"Let me give it a shot." Yang ran at the doors and punched them with all her might, but she did not even scratch the paint. "If that didn't work I don't think we're going that way."

"I guess we'll have to go back then." Blake said. She walked back to the doors from which they had come. "No good, they're locked too."

"So we're trapped?" Weiss said. "Wonderful."

"There's something strange about this tree." Rise said, standing in front of a tree in the center of the courtyard. "I can't quite put my finger on it."

"It looks like a normal persimmon tree to me." Naoto said. She walked up to it and looked at it closely. "It looks normal but I think I know what you mean. Something doesn't feel right about it."

"So let's chop it down." Ruby suggested as she unfolded Crescent Rose. No one protested so she hooked her scythe around the tree's trunk. She pulled the trigger, forcing the scythe back. It cut through the trunk with little resistance but the tree still stood with a visible gap separating most of it from the roots. "Well that's weird."

"Everybody back!" Rise shouted. Everyone followed the command just before the tree became engulfed in black liquid. "It's a shadow in disguise!" The column of black resolved into a fifteen foot tall, thick, dead-looking tree with an enraged face on the trunk. Rather than wood it moved as if it were made of rubber, whipping its branches around and forcing the group to further retreat.

"Well this should be easy enough." Yosuke said. "Stand back and watch the professionals."

Naoto stepped forward. "Yamato Sumeragi!" She shouted. Unlike most Personas which tended to be gigantic, Naoto's was about human-sized. Long blond hair flowed out from the back of a sharply pointed helmet, trailing behind the Persona along with a cape. It wore a formal red coat not unlike Professor Port's, tight blue pants and knee-high black boots, and it wielded a saber. Before it could do anything the shadow whipped one of its branches out toward it. The branch extended until it was impossibly long before wrapping around Naoto's Persona and constricting it.

Yosuke's Persona Takehaya Susano-o swept in, blasting the shadow with wind. His Persona had a burning sun for hair, fan blades wrapped around its face and more blades hovering around its torso and below its feet. It wore a long red and yellow coat. The shadow seemed unfazed by the assault. It whipped branches at the Persona while Yosuke's Persona countered with gusts of wind to push the branches back. The blades cut into any branches that got close, protecting the Persona, but its attacks were useless.

Naoto groaned in pain as her Persona struggled to free itself from the crushing snare. Yosuke's Persona was not making a dent but it was exhausting him. Yu rushed forward, hand on his katana, while Izanagi-no-Okami floated above him. His Persona was somewhat robotic and clad in a long white overcoat. It carried a strange double-blade with a large circular guard around the handle. As Yu closed the shadow turned its attacks toward him, and he responded by slashing at the branches with his blade. Meanwhile, his Persona headed straight for Naoto's. A blast of fire from Yu's Persona cut through the branch that held Naoto's. The tree roared in pain as her Persona broke free and retreated from the fight.

"That's it!" Rise cheered. "Hit it with fire!" Her Persona stood above her, constantly scanning the enemy.

Izanagi-no-Okami continued to blast the shadow with fire, slowly burning away at its remaining branches. Yamato Sumeragi rejoined the fight to add more flames to the assault. It was working, as the shadow was slowly being burned away. Yu and Naoto were getting exhausted from the constant exertion. Just then, Takehaya Susano-o launched a massive wave of wind, fanning the flames. The shadow was completely engulfed. By the times the flames died down, the shadow had been incinerated, reduced to a pile of black ash on the ground. The ash melted and evaporated away.

There was a loud clunk as the doors surrounding the courtyard unlocked. "You guys alright?" Yu asked. Naoto and Yosuke nodded.

"That could have gone better." Naoto sighed. She still ached from the damage done by the shadow. "That's the trouble with Personas. You need to keep track of yourself and your Persona, because damage to one is done to the other as well."

"Only Yu even used his weapon." Blake observed. "If fighting with Personas is so risky and difficult, why not just attack on your own?"

"We're not really trained to do that." Rise admitted. "The four of you are professional warriors. We aren't. I mean, Naoto's pretty good with a gun but we're not exactly experts."

"Maybe our styles can complement each other." Ruby suggested. "You can focus on using Personas while we use our combat skills."

"By gaining Personas we lost our semblances though." Yang reminded. "That really limits our effectiveness. For example, Weiss can be fragile in close combat, but she usually uses her glyphs to attack from a distance or hit and run. Without them, she has to get dangerously close without a fast way to retreat. As for me, I don't think I'll be able to take the same kind of punishment."

"It's all about balance." Naoto said. "You need to use your Personas to make up for your deficiencies. Weiss' Persona can still attack from a distance, and Yang's can defense so you'll be able to take more hits."

"I guess we'll have to figure it out as we go along." Blake sighed.

"That's how we did it, and look at us now." Yosuke said.

"I finally located Ken!" Rise announced. "He's outside the school but very nearby."

* * *

"Well, thanks for showing me around." Ken said. "It'll be nice to know a little bit about the school before I start attending."

"Yeah, don't mention it kid." Shinjiro said. "It's no big deal." Shinjiro was playing it off as if he did not care about Ken or his thanks, but Ken knew better. Shinjiro put on a tough façade but he really did care. He could be intimidating, even scary to some people, but once you got to know him Shinjiro was a really nice guy.

"Want to get something to eat?" Ken asked.

"Maybe we shouldn't." Shinjiro said. "Won't your mom be worried?"

"No, I told her I'd be out all day." Ken replied.

"There's Ken!" Rise pointed across the soccer field. Ken and Shinjiro took no notice of the approaching group.

"Who's that guy with him?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know." Yosuke replied. "I've never met him before." He looked over at the others to see if they knew. "Naoto, what's wrong?"

"Tall, thin, long brown hair, dark clothes and hat, he fits the description of a SEES member." Naoto said. "Shinjiro Aragaki."

"So it's somebody he knows." Yang said. "That makes sense for his dream."

"He's supposed to be dead." Naoto explained. "He accidentally killed Ken's mother when his Persona went out of control. Ken tried to kill him but was killed by an enemy of SEES while protecting Ken. It's all in the Shadow Operatives' files! I should have seen this coming. He's got to be the key to this dream."

Shinjiro spotted the approaching group. He placed himself between them and Ken. "Ken, maybe you should head home." Shinjiro suggested.

"Why?" Ken asked. "Who are they?"

"Just go, I'm sure your mother's waiting." Shinjiro said.

"Ken, your mother's dead and you know it." Naoto said. "It's painful but it's the truth."

"What's wrong with you?" Shinjiro asked. "How could you say that to a kid?"

"The real you is dead." Rise accused. "You're just a shadow! I can sense it."

"What are they talking about?" Ken asked. He looked confused and afraid.

"Ken, listen to us." Yu said. "This is all a dream. You have to wake up."

"That's ridiculous." Ken said. "I'd know if I was dreaming. Everything you're saying is a lie. My mom's fine and Shinjiro's right here."

"Shinjiro killed your mother years ago." Naoto continued. "You tried to kill him, but he died protecting you. Don't you remember, shadows, the Dark Hour?"

"Don't you remember us?" Yosuke asked. "We fought together in Inaba to stop Sho Minazuki. Come on, you have to remember that."

"I…I don't…I don't want to remember." Ken cried, holding both sides of his head in pain. "No, that was all a dream! This world is real!"

"Stop hurting the kid or I'll make you pay." Shinjiro threatened.

"The shadow's the only thing holding this dream world together." Rise said. "If we take it out Ken will wake up whether he wants to or not."

"On it!" Yang shouted. She rushed toward Shinjiro, followed closely by the rest of her team.

"So that's how you want to play this." Shinjiro hissed. "Fine." A wave of energy shot out from him, knocking Team RWBY off their feet. "I won't let you return him to his suffering." Black liquid surged up from the ground and surrounded Shinjiro. It formed into the shape of a ten foot tall, skeletal Shinjiro. Its flesh was gone and its jacket was stained with blood. It had also acquired a large battle axe. "I will protect him from the pain of reality."

"This isn't good." Rise said. "The shadow's immune to darkness and light and is resistant to everything. You'll really have to wear it down."

Yang got back to her feet and resumed her charge at the shadow. She slid under a horizontal swing of its axe and sprung up to deliver a punch to its chest. The shadow was unmoved and simply absorbed the blow. Only about half the shadow's height, Yang repeatedly punched it in the midsection. She was inside its axe's effective range but that did not mean she was safe. The shadow lifted its knee, slamming it into Yang's face. She stumbled back into axe range but Weiss' Persona arrived in time to stop the shadow's counter attack. The shadow's colossal axe slammed into Ananke's shield and ice shot out to surround the weapon and lock it in place. The Persona stabbed its flaming sword straight through the shadow's chest. Even impaled on the fiery blade, the shadow refused to relent. It wrenched its axe free of the ice, lifted it high over its head, and slammed it down onto Ananke's ice shield. The blow shattered the shield and the axe cleaved into Ananke's shoulder. Weiss cried out in pain and hastily withdrew her Persona.

Ananke's sword had left a gaping hole in the shadow's midsection. It dripped with viscous black liquid. Yu's Persona flew in, slashing away with its own sword in an attempt to exploit the damage. The shadow blocked the attack and countered by striking the Persona with the butt end of its axe. Izanagi-no-Okami was pushed back and countered with a bolt of lightning. The Persona kept up the attack as the shadow struggled, unable to counter. Ruby took the opportunity to rush in and attack the shadow with Crescent Rose. Her scythe easily cut through the shadow's clothing, but the skeletal shadow's bones were more resistant to the assault. The shadow slammed its fist down on the ground generating a powerful shockwave. Ruby was knocked off her feet and Izanagi-no-Okami was pushed back.

Close combat was proving dangerous so ranged attacks became the order of the day. As Ruby retreated Naoto fired her rifle at the shadow. The bullets seemed to have little effect but at least distracted the beast enough to allow Naoto's Persona to hit the shadow with fire. Blake summoned her Persona and it fired an arrow charged with electricity into the shadow. It struck the shadow's free arm, shattering the bone and causing the arm to drop off where it melted into a puddle of black liquid. The shadow desperately tried to close the distance but Yosuke, joined by Ruby, kept it at bay with blasts of wind. From a safe distance, the group's Personas pounded the shadow while Blake's Persona lined up another shot. Diana fired another charged arrow and this once struck the shadow squarely in the forehead. It penetrated through the shadow's skull before exploding with electricity inside. The shadow writhed for a moment before collapsing in a heap where it melted and evaporated away.

"Is is…is it over?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, it's over." Yosuke said. "Now it's time for you to wake up."


	24. Sacrifice

Chapter 24

"Why are we still here?" Yang asked. "We killed the shadow. The dream should collapse. Right?"

"Maybe Ken has to decide to wake up." Naoto suggested.

"Well then kid, wake up already." Yosuke said. "The rest of your friends need saving."

"What if…what if I don't want to wake up?" Ken asked.

"What?" Ruby was surprised. "Of course you do."

"I'm not so sure." Ken said. "What will I be waking up to? A world where I don't have a family and I'm responsible for Shinjiro's death."

"He was dying anyway." Naoto reminded him.

"You don't know that!" Ken protested. "For all we knew they could have found a way to save him. If I hadn't brought him out there to kill him, we wouldn't have been ambushed. I lived for years wanting revenge for my mother's death. Then when I had the chance, I found out her killer was waiting for it too. It ruined him. It made him take those damn drugs that were killing him. All I could think about was what he did to me without ever considering what it did to him. Now I have to go through every day unable to escape the fact that I was a monster. Here none of that exists. I still have my mom. I still have him."

"You weren't a monster." Yu said. "You were human."

"We all do things and have feelings we regret." Blake said. "We all make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. It does you no good to live in a fantasy."

"Besides, what will your friends think?" Rise asked. "They really care about you. They flew halfway around the world for you after all."

"If you never woke up, they would feel the same pain you do." Yang said. "In any case, of you don't wake up we're not leaving. We'll wreck up the place until you change your mind."

"I guess you're right." Ken sighed. "I guess it's time to wake up."

The world began to blur as if it were a television losing its signal. Static began to surround everything. "Oh, just a word of warning, this might hurt a little." Weiss said. "In the real world your body is pretty beat up."

"Wait, what?!" Ken shouted as the entire dream collapsed in upon itself.

* * *

After falling through a featureless void, Teams RWBY and YYRN found themselves in the same hallway they had originally arrived in when they entered the Shadow World. Ken's door was now boarded up. "Where's Ken?" Yosuke asked as he looked around. "He was just here a second ago."

"If I had to guess I'd say he's returned to his body." Naoto replied. "Only his mind was in this world. We should head back to make sure he's alright."

"I think we can all use some rest too." Rise said. "It's been a tough day."

* * *

The doctors and technicians took no notice as the group reentered the warehouse. Ken lay in his bed groaning as a pair of doctors attended to him. "I see you've made a breakthrough." Kikuno said as she approached the group. "I am very grateful."

"How's Ken?" Ruby asked.

"He's in some pain." Kikuno said. "He has some broken bones and soft tissue injuries, but he'll recover in no time." Ken's groaning stopped. "It seems they have administered painkillers."

"Is there a chance we could talk to him?" Naoto asked. "He might have information that can help us."

"You'd better hurry." Kikuno suggested. "With that stuff he won't be lucid for long."

"Hey Ken, how are you feeling?" Yang asked.

"I guess I should thank you." Ken said. "Oh, and thanks for the warning, it was spot on, uh…what's your names?"

"I'm Weiss." She said. "This is Yang, Ruby and Blake. We're friends of theirs." She pointed to Team YYRN.

"So, who did this to you?" Naoto asked. "I'm sorry to skip the polite conversation but we need the information as soon as possible."

"It's no trouble." Ken said. "I'm not really sure though. I saw the Midnight Channel you guys dealt with, and I was on it so I got scared. I was in the lobby of my hotel, and no one else seemed to see what I was seeing. Then this shadowy guy showed up outside. The way he was looking at me was disturbing, so I decided to make a run for my room. I ran up the stairs and didn't hear his footsteps behind me so I thought I was safe. I called Mitsuru to warn her about the Midnight Channel, but then the guy kicked the door in. I guess he knew which room was mine. It was dark and I didn't get a good look at him before he knocked me out, but it was definitely a man. He was a little shorter than average I guess. He seemed kind of familiar but…never mind. The next thing I knew I was in the dream."

"A shorter than average man." Naoto said. "That doesn't narrow it down much. Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Not really." Ken admitted. "If I remember anything, I'll let you know."

"Thank you Ken, we're really glad you'll be okay." Ruby said. Ken smiled but he was already drifting into a drug-induced daze.

"Well, now what?" Yosuke asked. "I don't think we're any closer to finding this guy."

"Do you think Adachi could have anything to do with this?" Rise asked.

"No, he's safely locked away in his jail cell." Naoto said. "When I found out about this, I contacted the prison immediately and he's still there. It also seems that his use of dust has left him with a lingering weakness. I don't think we'll have to worry about him for quite some time."

"It could be Sho." Rise suggested. "I don't think he's given up his grudge against the Shadow Operatives."

"But wouldn't Ken have recognized him?" Yosuke asked. "Even if he didn't get a good look, it hasn't been long since they last faced off. Besides that, he's not shorter than average."

"We'll just have to rescue the others to see what they know." Yu said. "For now we should get some rest."

"How long has Ken been fighting shadows?" Blake asked. "He seems young."

"Since he was 10." Naoto answered.

"Ten years old!" Weiss exclaimed.

"He's not even the weirdest member of the Shadow Operatives." Yosuke laughed. "They have a dog who can use a Persona."

* * *

"Before we head back to the hotel, maybe we should do some sightseeing." Yosuke suggested. "It's too early to go to bed and there's no sense letting the time go to waste."

"Sounds good, where should we go?" Yu asked.

"We never got to Times Square." Rise said. "It's after dark so it should be quite a sight!"

With no objections, the group headed to Times Square. There were still a fair number of people out but, like the good New Yorkers they were, they ignored the strangely dressed tourists. "I still can't get over how tall the buildings are here." Ruby said as she looked around at the dazzling lights.

"It's so pretty." Rise said. "There are places in Tokyo sort of like this though."

"It looks like nothing but a bunch of oversized billboards to me." Blake complained.

"I guess now isn't really the best time to be here." Rise admitted. "On New Year's they have a huge celebration here with millions of people."

"People care that much about the passage of another year?" Weiss asked. "That's a boring thing to celebrate."

"It doesn't matter what they're celebrating." Yosuke said. "It's a big party, what's not to love?"

"I can get behind that." Yang agreed.

Team YYRN snapped some pictures with their phones and soon it was time to head back to the hotel. Ken was safe but seven Shadow Operatives still needed to be rescued and the culprit behind their predicament was still unknown.

* * *

When Teams RWBY and YYRN returned to the warehouse, Ken was sitting up in his bed, looking sad. "Hey Ken, what's the matter?" Ruby asked.

"It's nothing." Ken lied.

"It's not nothing." Ruby said. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Not really." Ken replied. "It's just, that dream world made me face my past again. It hurts, so I try not to think about it too much, but sometimes I can't help it. It made me realize how alone I am."

"You're not alone." Naoto said. "I lost my parents too, but I have my friends."

"I don't really have friends." Ken sighed. "There are some people I hang around with at school, but they don't really know me and I don't know much about them. They're fun to be with, but I wouldn't call them friends."

"I think you have seven fantastic friends right here." Weiss said, gesturing toward the other Shadow Operatives.

"I don't know if I could really call them my friends." Ken sighed. "Except for fighting shadows, we don't have much in common. We're not even close in age."

"Of course they're your friends." Yang said. "They dropped everything to help because you were in trouble. If that doesn't make them your friends, I don't know what does."

"I feel like they're only here for the shadows." Ken said. "If I didn't have a Persona, would they even care about me? If my mother hadn't been killed would they even have noticed me?"

"That's a foolish thing to say." Naoto said. "What ifs aren't going to get you anywhere. I know firsthand. You are who you are and they care deeply about you."

"It's true." Kikuno said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "After your call none of them even mentioned shadows. All they cared about was your wellbeing. They would have rushed here if you needed them for any reason. I've never seen them so worried."

"If you're still not convinced, I'm sure they'll tell you once we wake them up." Yang said.

"Is there any way for me to help?" Ken asked. "If they came here for me, it's my fault they're like this."

"Just get some rest and don't blame yourself." Ruby said. "The only one at fault is the man who did this to you. When they wake up, they'll want to see you happy and healthy."

"I guess you're right." Ken said. "Before you go, I need to warn you. They've all been through…difficulties like I have. They might need some convincing to wake them up as well."

"Don't worry, we'll wake them up, no matter what it takes." Yang said.

"You looked bored." Yosuke said. "Is there anything we can get you to keep you occupied?"

"I don't know." Ken replied. "Maybe a book or something?"

"I don't think any of us brought books." Naoto said. "I know I didn't, and the two of you don't look like the reading types." She said to Yosuke and Rise. Yu shook his head.

"Blake brought a book." Yang said with a devious smile. "Why not let him read that?"

"I don't think he'd like it." Blake said, her growing embarrassment clear on her face.

"What's it about?" Ken asked.

"Uh…ninjas." Blake said. He cheeks were getting red.

"Ninjas are awesome!" Ken said. "I'd love to read it!"

"I don't think it's age appropriate." Blake said, flustered. "I'll be in the Shadow World waiting for the rest of you." She marched off and dove through the television without looking back."

"What's wrong with her?" Ken asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Don't worry about it kid." Yang laughed. "I was just teasing her about her literary preferences."

"What's wrong with ninjas?" Ken asked.

"The book isn't really about ninjas." Weiss said. "It's one of those dirty romance novels."

"Huh, she's embarrassed." Ken said. "I know a lot of girls who read that stuff."

"Yeah, and she thinks we don't know!" Yang said.

"I still don't understand what the big deal is." Ruby said.

"One day, when you're older, I'll explain it to you." Yang said. "Well, I guess we shouldn't leave her in there alone. Let's go guys."

* * *

"It's about time." Blake said as the others arrived in the Shadow World. Just past Ken's door Blake waited by another. "Sacrifice." She said, pointing to the inscription on it.

"That really isn't enough information for me to know who it is." Naoto said. "They've all made great sacrifices in the course of fighting shadows."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Yang said. Blake opened the door and Yang followed her through. The others soon joined. When they emerged into the dream world, they found themselves in the outfield bleachers of a baseball stadium.

"This has got to be that guy…what was his name?" Yosuke said.

"He seemed like kind of a loser." Rise said. "A bit like you."

"Hey!" Yosuke protested.

"Junpei Iori." Naoto said. "He's currently a Little League baseball coach."

"This seems a bit grand for Little League." Rise said.

"It is his dream." Yosuke said. "Maybe he dreams bigger."

"He's somewhere in here for sure." Rise said. "I can't tell exactly where though. My abilities are being blocked again." The group could see what appeared to be a group of people in the distance, near home plate. "He could be over there." Rise suggested.

Ruby climbed down over the bleachers and straddled the railing above the field. "What are you doing?" Yosuke asked.

"We may as well take the direct route." Ruby replied. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"I guess I still feel like I'm at a real baseball game." Yosuke said. "Normally you'd spend the night in jail if you jumped over the railing like that."

"This isn't the real world, so I don't think we have to worry." Weiss said. Ruby dropped down and the rest of her team followed. After overcoming their initial hesitation, Team YYRN joined them.

The group dropped down into the bullpen, but found they were not alone. A baseball player, probably a pitcher, stared at the intruders. "And predictably it's a shadow." Rise sighed. The pitcher lost any appearance of being human as his skin turned to an oily and featureless black. Under the uniform, the shadow's body began to change shape, growing taller and more imposing. Its throwing arm grew gigantic and muscular and a mask slid down over its face from beneath its hat.

"Maybe trespassing was a bad idea after all." Naoto said.

"I'm really confused." Ruby said. "What is baseball and what does this shadow have to do with it?"

"It's hard to explain baseball as a whole, but this guy is a pitcher and he…" Yu started to explain.

"He's throwing a fireball!" Yosuke warned with a hint of panic. The shadow was well into its windup, a searing fireball in its hand. It threw the flaming projectile with the speed and accuracy of an ace, sending it hurtling toward Rise who was busy scanning the shadow with her Persona.

Yang summoned her Persona and it appeared in the fireball's path. Striking Turan in the chest, the projectile broke up harmlessly. Yang counter attacked, her Persona streaming fire at the shadow while she charged it. Yang wound up for a powerful punch but the shadow, unaffected by Turan's fiery assault, sidestepped her at the last moment. As she passed it, the shadow grabbed Yang by the shoulder and slung her around face first into a nearby wall. In a daze, Yang wobbled around on her feet until the shadow leveled her with a punch from its oversized arm.

Pitching from the stretch, the shadow launched another fireball, this time at Naoto. Her Persona took the blow but it was still enough to do serious damage and her Persona began to fade. The shadow quickly followed up with another fireball and this time Yosuke summoned his Persona to use a gust of wind to push it harmlessly wide of the group. He began launching wind attacks at the shadow but it stood firm in the face of his gales. The shadow reached back then slung its oversized arm forward. The arm stretched like rubber until it grabbed Yosuke's Persona by the head. It snapped back, taking the hapless Persona with it and slamming it into the ground. Yosuke's Persona faded away as he fell flat on his back.

"Physical attacks guys!" Rise announced. "Get in close and hit it hard."

The shadow began launching fireballs in rapid succession. "We can't get close while it's doing that." Blake said. They could not even line up good shots from their guns as they were forced to dodge the shadow's relentless onslaught.

"I've got a plan!" Yu said. He ducked under a fireball and slid forward, standing with his side to the shadow. Grasping his sword tightly with both hands, he pulled it back and waited for the shadow to attack him. The shadow soon obliged, launching a fireball just in front of him. Yu cocked back then swung his sword forward, striking the fireball just as it reached him. The fireball was sent screaming back toward the shadow and struck it in the face. "Now!" Yu shouted as the shadow was knocked off balance by the impact. Ruby propelled herself forward by firing Crescent Rose back. Arriving at the shadow, she swung her scythe overhand and sliced off the shadow's gigantic arm in a spray of black liquid. She stepped back, twirled around and cut cleanly through the shadow's midsection. The shadow's two halves fell to the ground, melted and evaporated away.

"So, to continue, the pitcher throws the ball and the batter tries to hit it, sort of like I did." Yu said.

"Dude, I didn't know you played baseball." Yosuke said. "That was a great swing."

"I've never played." Yu admitted. "Beginner's luck I guess."

"My scans are a little cleared now." Rise reported. "Junpei's definitely somewhere near home plate."

"And conveniently there's a door." Yang said. She unhooked the latch and the door leading from the bullpen to the field swung open.


	25. Strike Out

Chapter 25

"Weren't there more people here before?" Weiss asked as the group approached the infield. A single player stood next to home plate holding a bat. "I could have sworn there were a few when we got here."

"Maybe the dream's breaking down." Naoto theorized. "Rise, where is Junpei?"

"I don't know." Rise replied. "He was over here the last time I scanned, but now he's gone."

"So is the one guy left a shadow?" Blake asked, reaching for Gambol Shroud.

"I think you already know it is." Rise answered.

Like the pitcher before, the batter's body became a writhing, featureless black mass. The bat merged with the black liquid as the shadow grew over ten feet tall and a mask slid from under its helmet to cover its face. The most drastic change affected the bat, as when it reformed it was twice as large and studded with rusty nails. The shadow pointed the bat toward the group and electricity arced between the nails.

Ruby swung Crescent Rose around as it unfolded and slammed the blade down into the ground. She aimed at the shadow and emptied her clip. The shadow blocked the shots with its bat then went on the attack. Ruby summoned her Persona and it forced the shadow back with a blast of wind. Yosuke joined in the attack with his own Persona but the shadow persisted. Yosuke's Persona strayed too close and with a mighty swing the shadow clobbered it while simultaneously electrocuting it. Yosuke seized and collapsed as his Persona faded. The shadow advanced, swinging wildly at the group as they scattered.

Yu summoned his Persona and it charged at the shadow. Izanagi-no-Okami's blade clashed with the shadow's sword. Both charged with electricity, firing it into each other to no effect. With the shadow tied up Yang saw her moment. She charged in as her Persona launched fireballs at the shadow. Yang leapt into the air and landed a strong punch to the shadow's mask, causing the shadow to stagger back. Unfortunately, this had the unintended effect of forcing Yu's Persona off balance as the force holding back its blade was suddenly released. The shadow reacted more quickly and slammed its bat down on the back of Izanagi-no-Okami's head. As his Persona began to fade, the wounded Yu quickly withdrew it.

Now Yang was the one who was overextended, alone and too close to the shadow. Her Persona was having no luck with its fireballs and the shadow was able to focus on Yang. It swung its bat at her but she ducked under the attack and punched the shadow in the leg. The shadow tripped and fell to a knee just in time for Naoto's Persona to sweep by and slice at its arm. Still off balance, the shadow awkwardly swung at the fast moving Persona, missed, and fell over onto its side. Yang and Naoto's Persona continued with hit-and-run attacks as Blake and her Persona tried to finish the shadow off with light and darkness.

Their combined efforts came to naught as the shadow managed to scramble back to its feet, forcing Yang to back off. As Yang retreated the shadow took a low swing at her. She attempted to hop over the bat but one of the nails clipped her boot and sent her flipping through the air. The landing was rough but the force of the hit had knocked her clear of the shadow's range, allowing her to recover. Weiss summoned her Persona and the hulking knight engaged the shadow in close combat. After catching the shadow's bat on its icy shield, Ananke launched an overhead slash with its flaming sword. The burning blade caught the shadow's shoulder and cleaved its arm off. Frenzied, the shadow flailed wildly with its bat, one of the strikes shattering Ananke's shield. The shadow's onslaught managed to knock Ananke's sword out of position and the next swing of the bat struck the Persona in the chest, knocking it onto its back. The shadow raised its bat over its head for a finishing blow, but it was never delivered.

Blake swept through, severing the shadow's remaining arm with Gambol Shroud. The shadow seemed entirely unable to respond, now quite literally disarmed. It stood still, just staring at its severed limb as it melted and evaporated away. Yu re-summoned his Persona to put the shadow out of its misery. Izanagi-no-Okami rushed forward and severed the shadow's head with a single stroke. The shadow collapsed, melted and evaporated away.

"I might never go to another baseball game." Yosuke groaned as Yang helped him to his feet. The fights thus far had been tough on them both. "Who am I kidding, I'd never go to a game anyway."

"So where's Junpei?" Blake asked.

"Let's find out." Rise said as she summoned her Persona. "He's really close." Rise turned around to see Junpei emerge from the dugout, only feet from their position in the middle of the infield. "Huh, he must have been in the locker room." Junpei walked out of the dugout, still in his uniform, and sat on the railing separating the seating area from the field. A strange looking woman sat in the front row.

"Was she there before?" Ruby asked.

"I don't remember seeing her." Yu said. Junpei began talking with the woman. She had long red hair and wore a strange white dress that made her look like an old doll. On her head were a ruffled headband and a piece that had the appearance of a cross shaped spike impaled through her head. Though she was mostly expressionless, as she talked to Junpei she began to smile ever so slightly.

"Any idea who that is?" Weiss asked.

"Another ghost it would seem." Naoto said. "She fits the description of Chidori Yoshino. She was a Kirijo Group test subject and joined an organization that opposed the Shadow Operatives, SEES at the time. She and Junpei had a relationship that led to her joining them. Shortly thereafter Junpei was shot. He would have died but Chidori used her Persona abilities to absorb the wound, dying herself in the process but saving his life. She must be the shadow holding this dream together."

* * *

Practice was tough but Junpei was happy. He was doing well and the team looked like a real contender. Even better, his beloved Chidori had come to watch. He walked out of the dugout to talk to her. "You didn't have to come you know." He said. "It's just practice, and I know you're not really a baseball fan. It must be painfully boring."

"It's quite alright." Chidori said. "I kept busy." She handed him her sketchbook. Junpei flipped through the pages. She had drawn some scenes from the day – a panorama of the stadium, a few of him and other players in action, and a few more mundane scenes that only an artist's eye would appreciate. They were all amazing. "Besides, it makes you happy and that makes me happy. Just seeing you with a smile on your face makes it worthwhile."

Still as socially awkward as ever, Junpei was flustered by her affection. "I…wow…you're the best." Junpei stammered. "Well, I guess I should get changed and then we can head home."

"That sounds good." Chidori said.

"Junpei, back away!" Rise shouted.

"Holy crap!" Junpei exclaimed. "That's Risette!" He glanced back at Chidori and remembered himself. "I mean, oh it's Risette, it would be nice to get her autograph I guess." He turned back to the approaching group. "You've got quite the entourage. Are you doing a show here or something?"

"Junpei, don't you remember us?" Yu asked. "Remember, in Inaba, we fought shadows together."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Junpei asked. "Is this some kind of hidden camera show? Is the team playing a prank on me?"

"Junpei, this is all a dream." Naoto said. "You need to wake up."

"These people are making me uncomfortable." Chidori said. "Let's go home."

"Yeah, whatever you're up to, you can leave me out." Junpei agreed. "Chidori's right, we should be heading home."

"She's not even real." Weiss said. "That's a shadow. The real Chidori's dead. Don't you remember?"

"Now you're making me mad." Junpei said. "This is insane. Shadows and fake people, it's all nonsense. She's right here, how can she not be real?"

"Junpei, it's painful but you need to remember." Ruby said. "You need to wake up."

"Come on, the dark hour, shadows, the Shadow Operatives, you've got to remember that." Yosuke said.

Junpei grabbed the sides of his head in pain. "No, I don't want to remember!" He screamed as he curled up on the ground. "This…this is real. That was all a dream!"

"Come on now, you know the truth." Blake said. "Just wake up."

Blake started to approach but Chidori jumped over the railing and placed herself between the group and Junpei. "I won't let you take him." Chidori declared. "He must not return to his suffering." Chidori was engulfed in black liquid. It formed into what looked like a woman in a black body-suit with red flame graphics on the arms and legs, with tentacles for hair and a ram's skull for a head. The shadow Chidori had become wielded a hatchet attached to a chain.

"If I had to guess by looking, I'd say we should watch out for fire." Yosuke said.

"Looks like a perfect job for me." Yang said. She ran straight at the shadow, but her attack was stopped as soon as it started. Her bad day continued as she found herself encased in ice, courtesy of the shadow.

"Looks can be deceiving with shadows, you know that." Rise scolded Yosuke. "It's all ice based attacks."

"I'll help Yang." Ruby said. She rushed forward and began using Crescent Rose to carefully pick Yang free of the ice. She summoned her Persona to provide come cover by blasting the shadow with wind. One gust of wind got the shadow's attention and it fired a salvo of ice crystals at Ruby's Persona. The Persona disappeared under the assault as Ruby yelped and dropped to the ground unconscious.

Weiss rushed forward to help her downed teammates. Her Persona caught the shadow's icy attacks on its shield as Weiss passed Ruby to Blake to take her to safety. Weiss continued to chip away at the ice surrounding Yang as her Persona closed in on the shadow. Immune to the shadow's ice attacks, Ananke got in close and slashed at the shadow with its sword. The nimble shadow was too fast, dodging and ducking every swing from the massive blade. Yang was almost free and Weiss could devote more attention to her Persona's assault on the shadow. Frustrated she commanded her Persona to make an all-out assault. It was a mistake. Ananke wound up and unleashed a mighty swing that the shadow easily avoided. The shadow slung its weapon around, wrapping the chair around Ananke's legs. A tug on the chain slammed the Persona to the ground. The shadow grabbed the axe at the end of its weapon and began hacking viciously at Ananke.

Yosuke used a blast of wind from his Persona to knock the shadow back, giving the wounded Weiss the opportunity to withdraw her Persona. Unfortunately, Yosuke's attacks had no discernable impact beyond being a distraction. The help from Yang's teammates had not been in vain as she was finally able to free herself. She and her Persona swept forward, Turan melting the shadow's attacks before they could reach their target. Yang delivered a flying punch to the shadow, pushing it off balance. Yang continued to attack, but though the force of her blows was giving the shadow trouble in terms of balance, the strikes did not seem to be doing any actual damage. She gave up on her assault and retreated to attack more effectively with her Persona.

Ananke and Naoto's Persona unleashed streams of fire into the shadow, and finally it seemed to be working. Its ice attacks melted as soon as they materialized and the shadow groaned in pain. It began to visibly weaken, stumbling around and launching attacks at random. Suddenly, there was a flash of white light around the shadow and it seemed renewed. Its attacks were powerful again, though they still failed to reach their targets. Soon though, the fire took its toll again. Then in another flash the shadow was back to strength.

"It keeps healing itself." Rise warned. "Also, fire hurts it but it isn't the shadow's weakness." Yang and Naoto were tiring as a result of their continuous attacks. Yu approached Naoto and Blake approached Yang, having their teammates rest, limiting their action to protecting against the shadow's attacks. It was their turn.

Yu and Blake summoned their Personas, side-by-side. Blake's Persona drew back its bow with an arrow charged with electricity. It fired and the arrow struck the shadow dead-center in the chest. The shadow staggered back and seized as electricity flowed through it. Yu's Persona unleashed a powerful electric attack, using the arrow as a lightning rod to focus the attack. The continuous current surged through the shadow until it exploded into chunks of black goo that melted and faded away.

"That was more spectacular than I was expecting." Yu admitted. He turned to Blake. "Good shot." Blake shrugged; it was all her Persona's doing.

Blake had earlier propped Ruby up against one of the walls surrounding the field and she was still unconscious. With the battle over Yang rushed to her sister's side. "Ruby, are you okay?" Yang asked, her voice slightly trembling. "Come on Ruby, speak to me."

"Yang?" Ruby said weakly, her eyes barely opening. "What happened?"

"It looks like her Persona's weakness is ice." Rise said. "Remember that and be careful."

"My head hurts." Ruby groaned. "Did we win?"

"Yeah, we won." Yang said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"You missed a heck of a show." Yosuke said. "Blake and Yu blew the shadow to pieces!"

"Guys, remember why we're here." Weiss said. "I think the resident dreamer needs some comforting."

Junpei was curled up on the ground crying. "I remember it all." He moaned. "Chidori…"

"I know it hurts but you're embarrassing yourself." Blake said. She turned to the others. "He's a member of an elite group of warriors tasked with protecting the world from shadows?"

"He sure is." Yu said. "Show a little compassion, he's had to relive the pain all over again."

"I just…" Junpei trailed off.

"Come on now, it's time to wake up." Naoto said. "You know this is all a dream."

"I don't think I want to." Junpei said. "What am I waking up to anyway? My life…hasn't gone exactly as I imagined." He was beginning to regain his composure. "I put on a smile but it's not all sunshine and rainbows."

"It can't be that bad." Rise said.

"I don't even have a real job." Junpei admitted. "I don't have to worry about money thanks to the Shadow Operatives, but coaching Little League isn't exactly what I imagined I would do with my life. And I'm all alone. I've got nothing. At least here I'm someone."

"But you are someone in the real world." Naoto said. "You've got a bunch of great friends who care deeply about you. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Don't throw it away to live in this fantasy."

"Look, it doesn't really matter what you decide." Weiss said, growing annoyed. "We're not leaving until you wake up."

"Fine." Junpei sighed. "Maybe you're right, maybe you're not, but staying here won't really fix anything." The entire world melted to black as the dream collapsed.

* * *

Kikuno was waiting for Teams RWBY and YYRN when they exited the television. "I don't think you should waste your time trying to talk to Junpei now." She suggested. "He has a severe concussion and isn't coherent at the moment."

"When will he be ready to speak to us?" Blake asked.

"Head injuries are difficult to predict." Kikuno replied. "He could be back to his normal self tomorrow, or it could take weeks. We'll just have to wait and see. Given the blow he seems to have taken, he's just lucky he didn't end up with a fractured skull. That might have killed him."

"How's Ken doing?" Ruby asked.

"He seems a little happier since you talked to him earlier, and he's certainly in higher spirits since you rescued Junpei." Kikuno answered. "The doctors just want him to rest now."

"Well, I guess there's no point hanging around here then." Yosuke said. "What should we do?"

"We could try more sightseeing." Rise said. "How about the Empire State Building?" She leaned into Yu. "They say it's pretty romantic…"

* * *

"I'm cold." Yang complained as the group stood on the Empire State Building's observation deck. The autumn evening air was chilly enough, but the whipping wind made it far worse. It was already sunset and would not be getting any warmer.

"Yeah, it's freezing." Rise said, pressing herself up against Yu 'for warmth'.

"Wow, look at the view!" Ruby exclaimed. She stared out at the vast expanse before her transfixed. The yellow and orange of the sky made it even more spectacular. "It's better than the view from Beacon!"

"I have to admit, it is pretty impressive." Weiss said. "What do you think Blake?"

"It's…pretty tall." Blake said. She seemed to be scanning the surroundings tactically rather than really enjoying the view. "This city is so big. There are so many people and they have no idea what kind of danger they're in. We might be the only people who have any clue."

"Don't be so pessimistic." Yosuke said. "They're not in danger as long as we're here."

"We don't have any cities this big on Remnant." Yang said.

"We don't have to worry about Grimm here." Naoto said. "Cities don't need walls or natural obstacles to protect them."

"I've never really thought about what it would be like to live in a world without Grimm." Ruby said. "On Remnant, you never feel totally secure."

"There are no Grimm but there are monsters." Naoto said. "It's just that on earth they're human."

"We've got those on Remnant too." Blake sighed.

"This got depressing really fast." Yang said. "Maybe it's time we headed back."


	26. Redemption

Chapter 26

Kikuno was waiting for the group when they arrived at the warehouse the next morning. "Your timing is perfect." She said. "Junpei's been in and out of consciousness but right now he's quite alert. If you want to ask him anything, now's the time."

The group approached a bored-looking Junpei. "Hey guys, how's it going?" He asked.

"Alright, how are you?" Yu replied.

"I've been better." Junpei said. He seemed happy. It might have just been the drugs or the concussion though. "You know, with the head injury and all."

"Well, let's cut to the chase." Weiss said. "Who did this to you?"

"I can't help you there." Junpei said. "I didn't even see the guy."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Well, we tracked Ken here." Junpei explained. "We opened the door and it was really dark inside. I charged in ahead of the others and then my lights went out. The next thing I know, I was in that dream world. From how sore it is, I'd guess he hit me pretty hard on the back of the head."

"Why didn't you turn the lights on before rushing in?" Yosuke asked. "That's what we did. There's a switch right next to the door."

"I never thought about it." Junpei shrugged. "Is there anything else you wanted to know?"

"Not really." Blake said.

"Sorry I couldn't be more helpful." Junpei said. "I'll let you know if I remember anything."

"It's alright, just focus on healing up." Rise said.

Naoto's phone rang. "Shirogane." She answered it. "Oh, detective Waters, what is it?" She asked after a brief pause. "Oh, well how much?" Another pause. "Really? I mean, I couldn't." Another. "I'm not sure they even know any…I guess that's true." She looked at the others. "Alright, well, I'm not sure we'll make it, but eight."

"What's it about?" Yosuke asked.

Naoto waved him off. "Alright, thank you very much detective. Goodbye."

"Well?" Yosuke pressed.

"It looks like we have something to do tonight if we have the time." Naoto replied. "Apparently one of Detective Waters' friends gave him a pile of free tickets to a hockey game in the city tonight. He's too busy to go so he's giving them to us. We just have to pick them up at the arena ticket office."

"I don't think any of us know a thing about hockey." Rise said. The others gestured to indicate their agreement.

"I didn't either the last time I was here, but I have a decent understanding now." Naoto said. "I wouldn't call myself an expert but I could at least explain what's going on to the rest of you."

"Is it even that fun to watch?" Yosuke asked. "I'm not really a sports guy."

"It's a…unique experience." Naoto replied. "It's certainly not for everyone. That said, the game is being held in Madison Square Garden, a very historic site."

"I guess it would be interesting to experience some local sports." Blake said. "On Remnant just about the only sporting events we have are combat tournaments."

"Depending upon how things go, it might not be so different." Naoto said. "Hockey is a bit on the violent side."

"We'll go if we have the time." Yu said. "Our priority is rescuing the next Shadow Operative."

"Of course, let's get to it." Naoto agreed.

* * *

With Ken's and Junpei's doors boarded up the group moved on to the next door in the dim hallway. The word 'Redemption' was inscribed on it. Again it was too vague a clue to determine whose world it would be. The eight passed through the door and into the disorienting void that would take them into the dream. They found themselves in some sort of maintenance room. Bare concrete walls surrounded them, only broken up by a blue metal door, a few air vents and an electrical fuse box. Judging by the stuffy dampness of the air, it was in a basement. But what basement? Without any distinguishing features, it was impossible to tell.

The door swung open and a man wearing a simple blue uniform walked in pushing a cart cluttered with tools. On spotting the group he stopped and let the cart roll away and into one of the walls. "There's your shadow." Rise warned. The man's skin melted away, replaced by the black liquid that seemed common to all shadows. Nothing about its physical form changed except that a mask slid up from under the uniform to cover the shadow's featureless face.

The fairly small room would be a difficult place to battle the shadow, but the door locked behind it and if the past was any indication they would not be able to open it until the shadow was defeated. The place was too small to even use Personas. Yosuke rushed up to the shadow and slashed at it with his kunai. It grabbed him by the wrist and Yosuke spun to stab with his other arm. The shadow grabbed that arm too and countered with a head-butt that left him dazed. Yosuke wobbled away from the shadow but it was unrelenting. The shadow charged forward and slammed its elbow into the back of Yosuke's head. He mumbled something incoherent as he fell on his face.

Weiss had moved herself to the shadow's flank. She charged and thrust Myrtenaster into the shadow's side, skewering it. The shadow twisted around to face her, wrenching Weiss off balance. It slammed its fist down on the back of her head and she lost her grip on her weapon. The shadow grabbed Myrtenaster instead and drew the blade out of itself with a sickening slurp. Weiss attempted to retreat and the shadow threw her weapon after her. The blade sliced through her coat, grazing her side, and pinned her to the wall.

The shadow ran at Weiss to finish her off while she was trapped, but Rise got in the way. She hit the shadow in the mask with her stun baton, sending a powerful electric shock coursing through it. Disturbingly, the shadow seemed powered up by the attack rather than stunned. It grabbed Rise with both hands and threw her across the room. She slammed into the concrete wall and dropped to the ground motionless. Yu attacked the shadow from behind, slashing across its back with his sword. Black liquid gushed from the wound as the shadow spun around to face him. The shadow got its arms up just in time to take the hit as Yu slashed across it. Badly hurt, the shadow put as much distance between itself and the group as possible. Teams RWBY and YYRN attended to their wounded, but the shadow did not rest. It staggered to the fuse box, opened the door and ripped the panel off to expose the electrical wires. It plunged its hands into the wires. The shadow tore the wires free and electricity flowed through it. Its wounds immediately healed and it became visibly charged.

Yang could not stand by while the group's work was undone. She ran at the shadow and lowered her shoulder into its midsection, slamming it up against the wall. It discharged its electricity into her. Yang writhed and fell down, but jumped back to her feet before the shadow could take advantage. She hit the shadow in the chin with an uppercut, snapping its head back into the wall as a blast from Ember Celica blew chunks of goo off its face. Yang reared back and punched the shadow in the chest with all her might. With help from Ember Celica, her fist passed clean through it and slammed into the wall hard enough to crack it. The shadow struggled to free itself, but Yang was easily able to resist its weak attempts and keep it pinned to the wall. She grabbed it around the throat with her free hand and pinned that to the wall as well. "Somebody finish this thing off." She said through gritted teeth.

Ruby approached with Crescent Rose in rifle mode. She pressed the barrel to the shadow's mask as it continued its attempts to wriggle free. Ruby pulled the trigger. The mask shattered and the shadow's head burst open in a spray of black liquid. What remained of its body melted and evaporated away. A metallic clunk indicated the door was now unlocked.

Yu helped Rise to her feet. She was still wobbly and braced herself with one arm on Yu and the other against a wall. "Maybe you should stay out of direct combat." Yu suggested.

"I think you're probably right." Rise groaned. "I'll stick to support from now on."

"Are you alright Weiss?" Blake asked.

"It's only a scratch." Weiss replied. "My aura should have healed it by now."

"I don't think auras work in this world." Naoto said. "Like your semblances, I think they're now properties of your Personas."

"I guess I'll need a bandage then." Weiss sighed. She pulled her hand away from the wound, revealing a bloody gash that was almost an inch deep at its worst. Her coat was torn and stained pink. "It's a good think I brought extra clothes too because I think this outfit is ruined."

"This isn't the time to worry about fashion." Blake said. She took off her bow and wrapped it around Weiss to cover and put pressure on the wound. "That should do for now."

"I don't think you should be walking around the real world without your bow on." Yosuke said. "Faunus might be oppressed on your world, but here they don't even exist. Most people would probably think it's just a costume, but it could definitely lead to some confusion."

"Once I can use my Persona I have some limited healing abilities." Rise said. "That should close right up. Then Blake can take her bow back."

"Well, the sooner we get out of this basement and find out where we are the better." Naoto said. "Let's get going before any other shadow show up."

* * *

The group emerged from the basement into a dimly lit nightclub. The music seemed exceptionally loud. "Hey, I know this place." Yosuke said. "This is that club on Port Island we went to."

"I think we had fun." Rise said. "All the details from that night are a little fuzzy."

"I could give you the rundown." Naoto said. "I managed to keep my composure, despite the antics displayed by the rest of you."

"Maybe it's best if it remains a secret." Rise said.

"I remember everything." Yu said. "You should have seen…"

"Yu, stop." Rise said. Her tone indicated that she was entirely serious. Yu shrugged and cut his story short.

"Now we just want to know more!" Yang protested. "So, did things get hot and heavy?"

Rise hurriedly summoned her Persona. "Would you look at that, there's a shadow here." She said, desperate to change the subject. "Now, let me heal Weiss." A white light emanated from Rise's Persona and the same light engulfed Weiss.

When the light faded Weiss removed Blake's bow and examined the wound. The dried blood was still there but the gash was now a shallow scrape. "Thanks, that looks a lot better." Weiss said. She handed the bow to Blake. Blake looked at the blood-soaked bow and frowned. With a heavy sigh she tied it over her cat ears.

"So, where's that shadow?" Ruby asked with Crescent Rose at the ready.

"What shadow?" Rise asked.

"You lied about the shadow so you wouldn't have to tell your story." Yang accused.

"No I didn't!" Rise said. "Well, maybe I did. It doesn't matter because there's a shadow right there now." She pointed up to the club's second floor where a blob of black liquid spilled over the railing. The liquid moved to the center of the dance floor before forming into what appeared to be a ten foot tall caricature of a king with a mask for a face that wielded a golden sword.

"The King's Game, of course." Yosuke said. "You know…"

"Shut up!" Rise shouted. "Just fight the damn shadow and forget anything happened."

"Alright, alright, what is the thing weak to?" Yang asked.

"I can't tell, try something." Rise replied.

Before Yang could make her characteristic reckless charge, Blake attacked. As Blake rushed at the shadow, her Persona fired an arrow crackling with electricity. The arrow embedded itself in the shadow's chest. Blake separated the halves of Gambol Shroud, throwing one to wrap it around the shadow's neck. She ran past the shadow and tried to use her momentum to pull the shadow off its feet. The shadow stood firm and Blake came to a sudden halt at the end of the tether. With its free hand the shadow ripped the arrow from its chest and snapped it in two. Dropping the destroyed arrow, it grabbed hold of the tether that connected the halves of Gambol Shroud. It tugged hard and Blake was powerless to prevent herself from being wrenched toward the shadow. She did her best to avoid hitting the shadow head on but it did not help. The shadow stuck its sword out to its side at Blake's neck level as she hurtled toward it uncontrollably. At the last moment Blake manage to raise her half of Gambol Shroud to take the blow. The force and angle of the impact still snapped Blake back and slammed her into the ground where she lie in a daze.

The shadow unwrapped Gambol Shroud from around its neck. It stood over Blake, sword held high with the point down, preparing to impale her. Her Persona fired another arrow into the shadow to distract it, but the shadow reached out a hand and unleashed a blast of fire into Diana. The Persona faded away and Blake lost consciousness entirely. Weiss' Persona arrived to intervene, forcing the shadow to abandon Blake to avoid a powerful stab. The shadow countered with a slash of its own, and Ananke caught the attack on its shield. Ruby rushed forward to pull Blake away from the battling giants. Ananke used its shield to push the shadow's sword back then stabbed straight forward. The shadow side-stepped the attack and trapped Ananke's sword arm under its own. The shadow spun around and threw an elbow that Ananke blocked with its shield. The force did push Ananke back, and with its arm trapped, the Persona was forced off balance. The shadow spun its shield and stabbed Ananke in the stomach. The blade pierced the Persona and it began to fade into static as Weiss doubled over in pain.

Naoto's smaller Persona managed to approach unnoticed and slashed its blade across the shadow's neck. The shadow recoiled from the blow and released Ananke, allowing Weiss to withdraw her Persona. The shadow hacked wildly at Naoto's Persona but it was too small and fast. The distraction gave Yu an opportunity to attack with his own Persona. The shadow spotted Izanagi-no-Okami at the last moment as the Persona lunged forward. The shadow deflected Izanagi-no-Okami's blade and also successfully defended as the Persona spun around to attack with the other half of its weapon. Yu's Persona had overreached and the shadow quickly took advantage. It grabbed Izanagi-no-Okami by the arm and threw it into Naoto's Persona, sending them both tumbling into a wall. A concentrated and continuous blast of fire from the shadow forced Yu and Naoto out of the fight.

An enemy shooting fire? Now was Yang's time to shine. She charged at the shadow as it blasted fire at her. Her Persona flew in front of her to absorb the attacks. Just before reaching the shadow, Yang dove down and smashed through the shadow's leg. The shadow wobbled and spun around to try to stay on its feet, but Turan lowered its shoulder and slammed into the shadow, knocking it to the ground. Turan pinned the shadow to the ground while Yang jumped up and knelt on its chest. She rained down punches to the shadow's mask, a blast from Ember Celica accompanying each blow. Turan held the shadow's sword, so it swatted at Yang with its arms. Yang ducked and deflected attacks, all the while keeping up her onslaught. The shadow's mask cracked and black liquid began to ooze through. It only encouraged Yang to hit harder. Finally the shadow's mask fell apart, allowing her to punch at the soft sludge beneath. After Yang had smashed the shadow's head nearly flat, it went limp, melted and evaporated away.

Yang stood up and straightened out her clothes before walking over to Rise. "So, now will you tell me?" She asked.

"No, I won't." Rise said. "And if any of the others do I'll kill them in their sleep."

"You know Rise; I never thought I'd be afraid of you, but right now…" Yosuke started.

"So, where do we go now?" Ruby asked, not concerning herself with the conversation. "Who's dream is this?"

"Hold on a second." Rise said. She summoned her Persona and scanned the area. "Oh, it's Yukari's. She's just outside the club. A strong shadow is there with her."

"What's her story?" Weiss asked.

"Her father was killed in an explosion while the head researcher on a Kirijo Group shadow project." Naoto said. "He was blamed for the incident which killed dozens at first, but was later exonerated. Atoning for his misdeeds drove Yukari to fight shadows. Now she's an actress in a kid's show."

* * *

Yukari sat on a bench in the Paulonia Mall and waited. It was boring to be in the mall alone. "Yukari?" A voice called from nearby.

Yukari turned to look. It was her father. "Oh, hey dad." She said.

"What brings you here?" Her father asked. "I thought you were busy shooting that show."

"We have a few days off, so I came to visit my boyfriend." Yukari explained.

"Oh, you're meeting him here; I'll go so I don't embarrass you." Her father said.

"No, you don't have to." Yukari said. "He just called me to say he'll be late. He's stuck at work."

"You're still dating the guy from high school right?" Her father asked. Yukari nodded. "I always like that kid. What's he up to?"

"He's attending Gekkoukan University now." Yukari replied. "How are things at home?"

"It's alright." Her father answered. "I'm pretty busy with work. I feel bad for your mother. I don't get to see her too much. I'm just picking up a few things before I head home."

"Back off shadow!" Rise shouted as Teams YYRN and RWBY approached the pair. "Yukari, this world isn't real!"


	27. Blinded With Science

Chapter 27

"Hey, aren't you that idol Risette?" Yukari asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine and you're in grave danger." Rise said. "You've got to remember. This world isn't real. It's all a dream. That man isn't your father, it's a shadow."

"Are you drunk?" Yukari asked. "Have you just lost it? What the hell are you going on about? You guys are her entourage right? You should get her under control before the press shows up."

"She's telling the truth." Ruby said. "This world is just a fantasy. You're trapped here, and the only way back to the real world is to accept the truth."

"Is someone playing a trick on me?" Yukari demanded. "Is this some sort of setup?"

"We know how crazy this sounds but you have to believe us." Yosuke said. "Don't you remember? Fighting shadows, the Shadow Operatives, us?"

"I have no idea what you're going on about." Yukari said. "Just leave me alone."

"Yes, I must insist that you leave my daughter be." Yukari's father said. "I don't know who you all are, but you're distressing both of us."

"Yukari, your father died when you were a child." Naoto said. "He worked with shadows at the Kirijo Group. There was an explosion. You spent years trying to clear his name. You and your friends saved the world from Nyx."

"Nyx?" Yukari said. It seemed to trigger something. She cried in pain and grabbed the sides of her head. "No, that's ridiculous. That was the dream. This is real! I don't want to remember that nightmare!"

"Leave her alone." Yukari's father said, stepping between her and the group. "This is your last warning."

"If we have to fight you to wake her up, we'll do it." Weiss said.

"It's your funeral." Yukari's father sighed. He knelt and was engulfed in a mass of black sludge that surged around him. When it cleared the shadow had been transformed. Now it had the appearance of a male version of Aigis, retaining Yukari's father's face. It stood and reached out its arms toward Weiss. The tips of its fingers hinged away to reveal gun barrels.

Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and her Persona appeared to create a shield of ice between Weiss and the shadow. The shadow loosed a series of rounds from its fingertips, shell casings spraying out of its wrists. The shots struck the ice, chipped away and fractured it. The shield held. Drum magazines dropped out of the shadow's wrists, and it replaced them with fresh ones. Weiss' shield would not withstand another burst so her Persona went on the offensive. It lunged at the shadow with its fiery sword, missing entirely as the shadow side-stepped the attack. Ananke smashed its shield into the shadow but the shadow did not move an inch, instead grabbing the Persona by the throat with one hand and punching it to the ground with the other.

Yosuke used his Persona to push the shadow back with a gust of wind. His Persona charged in and engaged the shadow in close combat with its saw blades. The shadow jumped high in the air and fired a burst from its hand guns into Yosuke's Persona. Riddled with bullets it began to fade and Yosuke withdrew it. Ruby threw herself into the fray, slinging Crescent Rose around, blade out. She struck the shadow in the arm but her weapon failed to penetrate its armor and instead she spun herself around in an attempt to keep her balance. The shadow elbowed Ruby in the back and sent her sprawling to the floor. It aimed its guns at her and fired. Click. Empty.

The shadow went through the process of reloading as Ruby staggered away. Blake's Persona fired an arrow at the shadow, but the shadow ducked the attack and took aim at Diana. Blake came to the rescue of her Persona as she wrapped Gambol Shroud's tether around the shadow's arms and pulled, ruining its aim and causing it to obliterate the statue in the center of one of the fountains instead. With a whipping action Blake unhooked her weapon to avoid a repeat of the previous fight as the shadow now turned its attention to her. She got in close and slashed up the shadow's torso with Gambol Shroud's blade, creating a shower of sparks but no discernable damage. Blake wisely retreated as the shadow reloaded again.

It was Yu's turn as his Persona flew in to engage the shadow. The shadow deflected Izanagi-no-Okami's thrust with its wrist and grabbed the Person by the collar. It threw the Persona into the air then shot it like skeet. Yu's Persona began to fade and he withdrew himself from the fight. Yang rushed the shadow from behind, leaping onto its back. She wrapped her arm around the shadow's neck and used her free hand to punch it in the head. The shadow struggled for a moment to get her off, then reached back with its arms at a humanly impossible angle to grab her. The shadow flung Yang over its head and slammed her down into the ground.

The shadow now went on the offensive, running straight at Rise who had been scanning it from the beginning. Rise noticed the attack just in time and her Persona disappeared just as she dropped to slide between the shadow's legs. In a fluid motion Rise spun around and drew her stun baton, slamming it into one of the shadow's hip joints. Electricity coursed through the mechanical shadow. It shook violently before collapsing. Rise struck it again and again, each hit producing renewed thrashing until the shadow lay there smoking and twitching. Yu summoned his Persona. Izanagi-no-Okami hovered over the shadow for a moment before driving its sword down through it. Electricity surged through the blade and into the shadow. It writhed for a few seconds before the ammunition in its wrists exploded, shattering most of the shadow's frame. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"You should have just hit it with electricity from the beginning." Rise said to Yu.

"I would have if you told me to." Yu replied. "It worked out anyway."

"Oh no, why does this have to be the dream?" Yukari cried. "This world is so much better. It's perfect here. There's no fighting shadows, everyone I love is still alive, and I'm happy."

"Reality can be cruel but there's no way around it." Blake said. "We all just need to go on living the best we can."

"But I don't have to." Yukari said. "I can just stay here."

"And what will that accomplish?" Weiss challenged. "You'll be happy in a fantasyland."

"Imagine what your friends would go though." Rise said. "Imagine what your fans would go through. To most people, you might just be the star of some kid show, but you're an inspiration and an example to those kids. Would you want them to give up on real life?"

"I…I guess not." Yukari said. "But isn't my happiness important too?"

"Can you really be happy here?" Yosuke asked. "Everything's fake and even if you try to forget, deep down you know it."

"Fine." Yukari sighed. "I guess I'll wake up." The world around them melted away as the dream collapsed.

* * *

"I'm surprised she isn't screaming in pain given her injuries." Naoto said moments after Team RWBY and YYRN exited the shadow world. Yukari seemed horrified by her wounds but not in pain.

"After Ken we decided that a continuous low-dose of painkillers would be administered to mitigate the shock." Kikuno explained. "If you want to talk to her, you should do it before the doctors begin any further treatments."

The group gathered around Yukari's bed. "How are you?" Ruby asked.

"I taste blood." Yukari said. "And my face hurts. Is my face alright? I've got a photoshoot coming up. Does anybody have a mirror?"

"Maybe we shouldn't." Yang suggested.

"Just give me a mirror." Yukari demanded. Rise reached into her pocked and retrieved a small makeup kit. Yukari opened it and examined herself. "Oh no!" She shouted. She still had a prominent black eye and her lip was split open. "How am I going to explain this?"

"Just say you were in an accident or something." Naoto said. "You're smart enough to figure out a good excuse."

"With enough makeup it'll hardly be noticeable." Rise encouraged. "I'm sure it'll heal up quick anyway."

"That's easy for you to say, your career's not on the line." Yukari said.

"No, we just put our lives on the line to save you." Blake said, exasperated. "Look at the big picture."

"You're right, sorry." Yukari said. "I remember you four, but who are you girls?"

"We're just friends." Weiss said. "And we happen to have had our own run-in with shadows."

"So, can you tell us anything about the Person who did this to you?" Yu asked.

"I don't think I'll be much help." Yukari sighed. "I didn't last very long in that fight. Junpei got knocked out, and we all rushed in to save him. I was at the back of the group, but the guy charged past the others and punched me in the face. After that, I don't remember anything."

"Can you describe him?" Naoto asked. "Any details would be helpful.

"Well, I didn't get a very good look at him." Yukari admitted. "It was dark and I could only make out his silhouette. He wasn't very tall and his hair was pretty short. He moved so fast. He hit me before I knew what was happening. He looked a little familiar, but it's probably just a random connection in my mind."

"Why do you say that?" Naoto asked. "Who did he remind you of?"

"It doesn't matter because it couldn't be him." Yukari said. "The guy he reminded me of is dead and has been for years. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Is there anything else?" Naoto asked.

"Not really." Yukari said. "Sorry, I know I'm not much help."

"Don't worry about it." Yang said. "We'll get the guy, whoever he is. You should just rest. Try not to dwell on your face. You're just as pretty when you're banged up."

"Thank you?" Yukari said, confused as she was embarrassed.

"We'll let you rest." Yu said. "Take care."

"Please save the others." Yukari implored. "I don't know what I'd do without their friendship."

"You have our word." Ruby said as they walked away.

"I feel like those fights were more difficult than the previous ones." Blake said.

"That's the thing about shadows." Yosuke said. "The more you fight them, the stronger they tend to get. I'm sure we'll be able to handle the challenge."

"Yeah, when we work together nothing can stop us." Yu said.

"So, what should we do now?" Yang asked.

"Well, the game is at seven and it's only four, so we could go to that." Naoto said. "The tickets are free after all."

"It sounds like a good time." Rise said. "Hockey is played on ice isn't it? I wonder if it'll be cold in there. I don't have a heavy coat with me." She grabbed Yu's arm. "I guess you'll just have to keep me warm."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Yu said, unfazed. He was used to Rise's antics, even if they made the others uncomfortable.

* * *

The group waited while Naoto went into the ticket office to retrieve their tickets. It was crowded. "I wonder if it's like this for every game." Yosuke said. "There sure are a lot of people and they all seem really pumped." Just then Naoto returned. "Who's playing?" He asked.

"Let's see." Naoto said as she examined the tickets. "The New York Rangers and the New York Islanders."

"Is that significant?" Blake asked.

"I have no idea." Naoto replied. "The Rangers aren't even Waters' favorite team, but he does hate the Islanders."

"I guess we'll be cheering for the home team then." Rise said.

"As rowdy as some of the fans are I think that might be for the best." Weiss said. "So, are they good seats?"

Naoto looked at the seat numbers then at the map of the arena on the back of the ticket. "I think we're in the first row of the upper deck." She said. "It looks like we're right in the middle."

"Have you ever been to a game before?" Yu asked.

"No, but Waters watched games on TV every night." Naoto said. "He got really into it but usually ended up disappointed by the results. I honestly don't know what we're in for."

"I just hope it isn't lame." Yang said.

* * *

"Hockey is awesome!" Yang exclaimed. As a pair of players met in a thunderous collision along the boards. "Crush 'em!" She shouted, shaking her fist in the air.

"This sport is a bit on the violent side, but I haven't seen anything too extreme." Weiss said.

"They do seem to be a bit more aggressive than in most of the game's I've watched." Naoto said. "Maybe the teams are rivals."

"Can you tell me what that last whistle was for again?" Ruby asked. She was having difficulty understanding the game. Naoto was the only one who knew the details.

"It was for an offside." Naoto said. "The players on offense can't cross that line before the puck. It's not really a penalty but the game is stopped to punish them." There was a roar from the crowd and the referee's hand shot up. "Now that's a real penalty." Naoto explained. An Islanders player had raked his stick across a Ranger's wrist. "That's a slash. He'll get two minutes in the penalty box and his team will have to play with one less player until he's out." The crowd noticed something and let out another roar. "Oh wait, this looks like…" A large Ranger skated straight for the offending Islander, tossing his gloves to the ice as he did. The Islander saw him coming and dropped his own gloves. "They're going to fight." Naoto said.

"Sweet!" Yang shouted. "Hit him!" The players tied up, each struggling to punch the other as they tugged each other's jerseys. The Islander found his arm pinned to his side as the Ranger landed a hook to his face. Blood gushed from the Islander's nose as the Ranger landed punch after punch. Finally, the Islander fell to the ground with the Ranger atop him. "This is the best sport ever!" Yang declared. The victorious Ranger held his hands high as the referee led him to the penalty box. Bloody and shaken up, the Islander was accompanied to the locker room by a trainer.

"They'll both get five minute penalties, but since they effect both teams neither will lose a player." Naoto said calmly, unperturbed by the fight they had just witnessed. "The Islanders still lose a man because of the slash."

"So how much do tickets usually cost?" Yang asked. "Is there a game tomorrow? Do they always fight like this? We need this on Remnant!"

* * *

"Feeling better today Yukari?" Rise asked.

"I was until Junpei woke up." Yukari replied. "He hasn't stopped annoying me since."

"Can you blame me?" Junpei countered. "It's not like there's anything to do here other than talk to you."

"Just leave her alone." Weiss said, waving her sword in a vaguely threatening manner. "She's clearly not interested."

"It's alright." Yukari said. "I've been dealing with this idiot for years."

They waited for Junpei's rebuttal but he remained silent. Kikuno was doing something with his IV. "I think it will be good for all of us if he gets some rest." Kikuno said. "Even if it's against his will."

"Thanks." Yukari said. "I need some rest too." Teams YYRN and RWBY headed for the television but Yukari stopped them. "Hold on a second. I need to talk to you guys."

"What is it?" Yu asked.

"Yesterday I was…uh…I guess I'm a bit embarrassed about how I acted in that dream world." Yukari replied. "I shouldn't have needed convincing to wake up. I've come to terms with my past, with my father, with everyone I've lost. I've had years to work it out. I'm sorry I was so hysterical."

"Don't worry about it." Ruby said. "You were forced to face some very painful things. Add to that all the stress that went with that world and your ordeal and it's totally understandable that you'd be emotional."

"I guess you're right." Yukari sighed. "I'm sorry I was so concerned with my appearance too. The first thing I thought about was my face when I should have been thanking you all or focusing on the fact that my friends are still trapped in that world."

"Nobody's perfect." Yang said. "We all have our moments of weakness and selfishness. The fact that it bothers you shows that you're better than that." Yang smiled. "I also stand by my earlier comment, you look just as good when you're beat up."

"And I still don't know how to react to that statement." Yukari said. "Thanks guys, you've done a lot for me. I hope I can pay you back somehow."

* * *

Back in the shadow world three of the eight doors were now boarded up. The next had 'dependence' written on it. "This seems different from the others." Naoto said. "I really don't know what to make of it. I don't see any of the Shadow Operative as dependent."

"I guess the only way we'll find out is to go in." Blake said. "Let's go."


	28. Dependence

Chapter 28

"Where the hell are we now?" Yosuke asked. The group was surrounded by technical and laboratory equipment. "Is this some sort of research lab?"

"It looks more like a classroom judging by the layout." Naoto said. "Perhaps this is a university."

"Are any of the Shadow Operatives attending one?" Ruby asked.

"Two of them are." Naoto replied. "Akihiko Sanada and Fuuka Yamagishi."

"Well, whichever it is we should hurry up and find them." Weiss suggested.

"No good." Rise said. "My abilities are being blocked again."

"Well, let's kill some shadows to clear it up." Yang said. She was eager for a fight.

A bell rang and there was a commotion out in the hallway. It sounded as if dozens of people were suddenly moving around, accompanied by an indecipherable din of voices. It must have been between classes. The classroom's door slid open and a dozen students shuffled in. Instead of moving to their seats they surrounded the group of intruders.

"Shadows?" Blake asked.

"You know it." Rise said.

The students melted into puddles of black liquid before reforming into humanoid black masses, each with a mask for a face and wielding a sword. Again the room was too small for Personas to be effective but the fight was on. The first thing they needed to do was break out of the circle of enemies. They would be in trouble if they stayed surrounded. Yang took matters into her own hands. She charged at a shadow, deflected its strike with one of her gauntlets, and delivered a crushing blow to the side of its head. The force pushed the shadow aside where it crashed into another, forcing both to the ground.

The group rushed through the newly created gap to one end of the room from which they could more effectively combat the shadows. Blake detoured to get around the side of a long table near the rest of the group. She shoved the table in front of them, the scientific equipment atop it tumbling over and shattering, then flipped it on its side to create a barricade. As the others ducked down behind the obstacle, Naoto popped up and fired a few shots from her rifle into the crowd of shadows. The shots tore globs of black sludge off their targets but the shadows kept advancing. Even high-caliber shots from Ruby, courtesy of Crescent Rose, only slowed the shadows as they continued to press the group. Ruby emptied her weapon and reloaded as Naoto fired a few more shots. The shadows were upon them now. One swung its sword down at Naoto but she ducked just in time and the blade embedded itself in the table.

As the shadow struggled to free its weapon, Yosuke jumped up and grabbed its arm. He tugged the shadow over the table and stabbed it through the mask with his kunai. The others joined in, stabbing and slashing at the wounded shadow with their own weapons until it melted and evaporated away. Unfazed by the loss of one of their fellows, the shadows continued their assault. Two simultaneously vaulted the table but the group was ready. Yang lunged forward and punched one shadow in the chest. It fell off balance and into the other. The two managed to stay on their feet by Weiss leapt forward and skewered them both through their torsos with Myrtenaster. With one slice Yu cut both in half with his katana. They melted and evaporated away.

The shadows now realized they would need to better coordinate to successfully overcome the group. They all rushed the barricade at once, and the table splintered under the force of their joint surge. Rise managed to stun one shadow with a smack from her baton but another arrived just after it to slash at her. She leapt back as Blake leapt forward, deflecting the shadow's strike. She countered by shooting the shadow in the mask with Gambol Shroud. The shadow faltered and Blake pounced, slicing its head off with her blade. It melted and evaporated away. Meanwhile, Yang set upon the stunned shadow. She locked her arm under the shadow's and lifted it off its feet before slamming it to the ground. Yang dropped a powerful punch into the downed shadow's face, shattering its mask. It melted and evaporated away.

While the others held the line Ruby positioned herself on the shadows' flank. Once they were aligned properly she unfolded Crescent Rose and raced along the line of shadows, scything through them with her blade. Five shadows fell in pieces, melted and evaporated away, leaving two still fighting. Naoto struck one on the side of the head with the butt of her rifle. The force was enough to stun the shadow, giving Yu the opportunity to cut it in two from shoulder to hip. It melted and evaporated away. The last decided to retreat and raced across the room away from the group. Blake unhooked the halves of Gambol Shroud and threw the blade at the shadow. It sunk into the shadow's back and caught in place. Blake tugged on the tether, dragging the shadow to the ground. Weiss leapt forward and finished it off by plunging Myrtenaster through its mask. The final shadow melted and evaporated away.

"That was chaotic." Rise said.

"At least the shadows weren't individually strong." Naoto said. "A group like that could really give us trouble if it were composed of more powerful enemies."

"I think Ruby gets the gold star on that one." Yang said, putting her arm around her sister. "You took out almost half of them in one move."

"I wouldn't have had a chance to if you hadn't broken through their circle and if Blake hadn't set up that table." Ruby said. "It was a real team effort."

"Yeah, good work everyone." Yosuke said. "I think we're really coming together."

"Come on, let's get going before we have to fight more of them." Blake suggested. "Let's get somewhere where we can use our Personas more effectively."

"The interference is weaker now." Rise said. Her Persona stood over her, hunched over to fit under the low ceiling. "Fuuka is here. She's upstairs somewhere."

* * *

"This doesn't make sense." Weiss said. The group had made their way to the top floor of the building. "This sort of room should be on the ground floor." The room was expansive.

"It looks like some sort of testing chamber." Yosuke said. "But for what?"

"Probably that tank." Naoto said. She pointed toward the center of the dimly lit room. The outline of a battle tank was just visible. It looked like a World War II vintage weapon, making the scene even more confusing. "I don't know why an antique like that would be here though."

"It's a shadow." Rise warned. "Hit it before it attacks!"

It was too late for that. Floodlights clicked on, lighting up the room. To a chorus of mechanical grinding and clanks the tank came to live and the turret swiveled around toward the group. "Scatter!" Naoto shouted. They group did so as the tank fired an explosive shot that landed where they had been standing.

Yosuke went on the offensive and his Persona flew toward the shadow. It fired another shell that went just wide as Yosuke's Persona strafed aside. Once at close range, the Persona unleashed a powerful blast of wind. It was entirely ineffective. The shadow's turret swung around, and instead of firing another large shell, it riddled Yosuke's Persona with bullets from its coaxial machinegun. Yosuke's Persona quickly faded away as he dropped unconscious.

"Wind's useless!" Rise warned. "Ruby, stay back!"

It would be a strictly Persona-based fight, as getting anywhere near the tank would be suicidal for the group. Blake was next to launch her assault. Her Persona ducked as the tank fired a shell just over its head. Diana snapped a black arrow in two and a black circle appeared below the shadow. It collapsed but nothing happened. Diana flew upward as the shadow fired low, then snapped a glowing white arrow. A glowing square appeared below the shadow and collapsed but nothing happened. Diana lined up to shoot an electrified arrow, but this time the tank found its mark, hitting the Persona in the center of the chest with an explosive round. Diana was instantly gone as Blake fell unconscious.

Yang attacked next, accompanied by Yu. Yang's Persona launched fireballs at the shadow while Yu's unleashed bolts of lightning. The resultant blast obscured the shadow from view as the Personas closed in, but when the smoke cleared the shadow appeared to be undamaged. It opened up with its machinegun, a few shots striking Turan as it dove away from the attack. Yang doubled over in pain as she withdrew her Persona. Yu's Persona managed to reach the shadow and stabbed at it with its blade. The blade glanced off the shadow's armor in a shower of sparks. The shadow's turret whipped around and the barrel of its main gun slammed into Izanagi-no-Okami's side. The shadow spun its turret at high speed, carrying the Persona with it and sending it careening into a wall. Yu was forced to withdraw his Persona just before an explosive shell struck the spot where it had been.

"I don't think we can get through that armor." Yu groaned.

"I have an idea." Weiss declared. She summoned her Persona and it swept toward the shadow, dodging the first blast from its cannon. In an instant it was upon the shadow. Ananke slammed its blade down atop the shadow, but the fiery sword was no more effective than Izanagi-no-Okami's weapon. The shadow swung its turret around, pointing the barrel straight at Ananke as the Persona jumped back. Just before the shadow fired, Ananke unleashed a blast of ice that surrounded the end of the shadow's barrel. When it fired the barrel exploded, blasting the turret off the tank body and making an opening into the shadow's soft black insides. Naoto's speedy Person flew into the opening and slash away with its sword until the shadow melted and evaporated away.

"That was a tough fight." Yang said. She was still in some pain from the beating her Persona had taken. "So, Rise, have you found Fuuka yet?"

"Yes, she's just through that door." Rise replied. She pointed to what had been a featureless wall. A wall had appeared as soon as they defeated the shadow.

* * *

"And this is a robotic arm I designed." Fuuka said as her parents looked on. She put a band of sensors around her head. As she moved her own arm, the robotic one mimicked her actions. "It's controlled by brainwaves, so it can be used by amputees."

"That's amazing." Her mother said.

"It wasn't all my work." Fuuka said. "A few other engineers helped put it together."

"Don't be so modest." Her father said. "You're a tremendous engineer and we're very proud of you."

"Fuuka!" Yosuke shouted as Teams YYRN and RWBY burst through the door and into the room. "Be careful, they're shadows."

"Huh?" Fuuka gasped. "What are you talking about?"

"This world is all a dream and those two are shadows." Rise said. "You need to wake up."

"I don't….what?" Fuuka was befuddled. "What's going on?"

"You have sensory powers." Rise said. "Use them. You can tell this is a dream."

"I still don't get it." Fuuka said. Her parents stood by looking annoyed but not interfering.

"Use your Persona." Ruby said. "This world isn't real."

"My Persona?" Fuuka asked. She thought about and suddenly a splitting pain filled her head. She dropped to her knees. "I remember. I thought this place didn't feel right. My parents were too supportive."

"Good, now wake up." Blake said. It was all going smoothly. Fuuka didn't resist at all the way the others had. Apparently she was happy enough with her life, so the dream was not such an appealing alternative.

"Alright." Fuuka said. They all waited for a moment, but nothing happened. The dream did not collapse.

"We're very disappointed in your choice." Fuuka's parents said in unison. "We expected better from you. We cannot allow you to leave this place."

"I guess we'll have to defeat the shadows." Yang said.

"They're holding the dream world together." Rise said. "Once they're gone the whole thing will fall apart."

"Well then, let's do it." Yosuke said.

"Not so fast." Fuuka's parents said in unison. They both became engulfed in blackness as their true shadow forms materialized. The columns of black liquid rose up to the ceiling and ripped it off the room, revealing a blood-red sky. Fuuka's father transformed into a fifteen foot tall gorilla-like creature that wielded an oversized mace. Her mother became an equally large pterodactyl-like monster with huge, razor-sharp teeth and claws.

Yang charged immediately, but the gorilla-like shadow slammed its mace into her stomach and sent her flying. Yosuke sent in his Persona, bombarding the shadow with wind. The shadow was unfazed and smashed Yosuke's Persona with the mace as well. It was every bit as strong as it looked and surprisingly fast. Weiss' Persona made more progress, blocking the shadow's initial attack with its shield. A slash from the Persona's sword cut a gash through the shadow but did not stop it. The shadow attacked with its mace again, but Ananke once again caught it with its shield. Before Ananke could attack again, the other shadow dove out of the sky and sliced at the Persona's back with its claws. Ananke turned to face the new threat, but this gave the gorilla-like shadow an opening. It struck Ananke in the back of the head with its mace, and the Persona faded away as Weiss fell unconscious.

Yu turned to Ruby and Naoto. "You two take the flying one." He said. "Blake and I will deal with the other one."

Yu summoned his Persona and unleashed a blast of fire at the gorilla-like shadow. It recoiled from the attack, giving Blake the opportunity to move around its flank. She rushed the shadow and plunged Gambol Shroud into its side. The shadow roared in pain as black liquid squirted from the wound. It swung its mace around to strike her, but she ducked the massive weapon. Blake was unable to avoid the shadow's fist as it continued its spinning attack. Blake was knocked to the ground in a daze. Yu's Persona rushed forward and shoulder-blocked the shadow away from Blake. The flying shadow attacked Yu's Persona with a frenzy of claws and teeth.

Ruby's Persona arrived just in time to blast the flying shadow away with a gust of wind. Ruby fired a number of shots with Crescent Rose as Naoto joined in with her own rifle. The shadow seemed annoyed by the bullets but they were hardly effective. The shadow pressed forward though the storm of lead, heading straight for the source. Just before it arrived Naoto's Persona knocked it back with a blast of wind. The shadow tumbled through the air before recovering, and it seemed dizzy. Ruby's Persona hit the shadow with an updraft that lifted the shadow high into the air. Naoto's Persona flew up with it, got above it, and blasted the shadow back toward the ground with more wind. Just before the shadow struck the ground both Personas attacked in tandem with tremendous downbursts the smashed the shadow into the ground. The mangled shadow melted and evaporated away.

Meanwhile the gorilla-like shadow was getting the better of Yu's Persona. It struck his Persona in the head with its mace. As Izanagi-no-Okami stumbled back the shadow slammed its fist into the Persona's face and sent it sprawling. As the shadow stomped over toward Yu's Persona, Blake summoned her own. Diana fired an arrow charged with electricity into the shadow's back. As the current passed through the shadow it convulsed but quickly recovered. It turned toward the new threat, deflected Diana's second arrow, then charged the Persona. Diana was unable to unleash another attack before the shadow was upon it. The shadow dove atop the Persona, pinning it to the ground as it pounded it with its fists. As the shadow reared up to deliver another crushing blow, Izanagi-no-Okami sunk its blade into the shadow's chest. The shadow froze, seemingly stunned by the sudden strike. The Persona was not idle. It wrenched the blade upward, slicing up through the shadow's torso and head. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"You guys are really strong." Fuuka said. "Those were powerful shadows."

"You're not fazed by this at all?" Blake asked.

"No, I understand what's going on." Fuuka said. "My life isn't so different from the dream. My achievements are a little less impressive, and my parents aren't nearly so supportive, but that's about all."

"Well, that's encouraging to hear." Naoto said as the dream began to collapse. "We'll see you in the real world."

* * *

Fuuka was not as beat up as some of the others, but her injuries were severe nonetheless. She had broken ribs and a punctured lung in addition to a concussion. Still, she was determined to help. "I didn't get a good look at the culprit." She explained to teams YYRN and RWBY. "He knocked out Junpei and then Yukari and I was next. I didn't even have time to summon my Persona. He picked me up then slammed me onto the floor. I don't remember anything after that."

"What did he look like?" Naoto asked.

"Well, he was a little short I guess." Fuuka said. "I think he was wearing something around his neck but I didn't see very clearly. I was focused on my friends, not him. Sorry."

"It's alright." Ruby said. "We're just happy you're okay and I think your friends feel the same way."

"Maybe if I contact them with my Persona I can wake the others." Fuuka suggested. "Kikuno has my evoker."

"I'm not giving you the evoker." Kikuno said. She had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "In your condition it would be very dangerous to use your powers. You need to rest."

"I have to agree." Rise said. "We didn't rescue you so you can put yourself at risk again. We can handle rescuing them. Besides, something in those worlds blocks my powers and I'd bet it would interfere with yours as well."

"I'd at least like to help working on Labrys and Aigis." Fuuka said.

"The technicians can handle that." Kikuno said. "The most important thing for you to do now is rest and get well."

"Fine, I'll rest." Fuuka sighed.

* * *

"So, what should we do tonight?" Yang asked. "Can we go to another hockey game?"

"I don't think they're playing tonight." Naoto said. "Maybe we should try something else."

"There's a big art museum in the city." Rise said. "That could be interesting."

"I don't know, it sounds boring." Ruby said.

"They have ancient weapons and armor on display too." Rise added.

"Sold." Ruby declared. "Let's go!"


	29. Weakness

Chapter 29

"The people in these paintings remind me of Pyrrha." Yang said as the group walked through the gallery of ancient Greek and Roman art. "The armor is very similar, but I don't see too many women depicted."

"The only females from ancient Greece that would be portrayed as warriors would be goddesses." Naoto explained. "Even then, there would only be a few. Throughout its history Earth has had very few female warriors."

"That's weird." Ruby said. "On Remnant, women have always fought alongside men."

"Well, it's a little different here." Rise said. "For one thing, women tend to be less physically strong, and without semblances to compensate, that can make it more difficult for them. Sexism plays a roll too."

"Yeah, in ancient Greece women were only just above slaves on the social ladder." Yosuke said.

"How long ago was that?" Blake asked.

"Over 2000 years for ancient Greece." Yu replied.

"It's better now, right?" Weiss asked. "Right?"

"Well, that depends on a few factors." Naoto said. "In some parts of the world, women are treated equally, or at least nearly so. In others, well, some animals get more respect."

"That's horrible." Yang said.

"It sure is." Yu said.

"Alright, let's move on." Rise said. "I think medieval art is in the next gallery."

"Were things better for women then?" Blake asked.

"Maybe we should skip that one." Yosuke suggested.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Weiss asked as the group returned to the warehouse the next day. Many of the doctors were gone, as were the Shadow Operatives they had already rescued.

"I sent them back to Japan for further treatment." Kikuno said. "The Kirijo Group has better facilities and they were well enough to travel. I'm sorry you didn't have the opportunity to see them first. The arrangements required immediate action."

"It's alright." Yosuke said. "I'm sure they're happy to be back home."

Naoto's phone rang. "Shirogane." She answered it. "Hello again detective." There was a short pause. "Yes, thank you. One of my friends quite enjoyed the game and we all had a good time."

Yang grabbed the phone. "Hockey is awesome!" She shouted.

Naoto snatched it back. "Sorry." She said. "No we met her here." Another pause. "Really, football?" She looked a bit confused. "Oh, that makes sense." She looked at the others. "Our schedule is still a bit unpredictable, but I guess we could if time permits." She nodded a few times as Waters spoke. "Okay, we'll meet you there if we can."

"Waters again?" Yosuke asked. "What's up this time?"

"He has some extra tickets to an American football game." Naoto replied. "It's tomorrow night in New Jersey."

"Aw, I was hoping for more hockey tickets." Yang sighed.

"I don't know much about it, but American football is a very high-contact sport." Naoto said. "I think it's something you'll enjoy. I'm not sure about the rest of us."

"We should give it a shot." Rise said. "We may never get another chance to see a game in person. Is it hard to get there?"

"No, Waters said we only need to take two trains." Naoto replied. "That'll get us right to the stadium. He'll meet us there."

"Okay then, we'll go if there's time." Ruby agreed. "Right now we should focus on saving the rest of the Shadow Operatives."

"Of course." Naoto said. "Let's get to work."

* * *

"Well, we're halfway there." Weiss said as the group passed the four boarded up doors and approached the entrance to the next dream world. The next one had the word 'Weakness' inscribed on it.

"That's very strange." Yu said. "I can't see any of the Shadow Operatives as weak."

"Yeah, especially the four left." Rise agreed. "They might be the strongest of all."

"Unfortunately I don't have any insight." Naoto sighed. "We'll just have to find out who it is by going in."

* * *

The latest dream world looked like a gym. Racks of weights lined the walls, and the floors were covered with pads. "Well, this has to be Akihiko." Yosuke said. "He's a workout freak."

"Yes, but how could weakness fit in?" Naoto asked. "His entire existence is based on gaining strength."

"Maybe some weakness is the underlying reason for that." Blake suggested. "He could be running from something or trying to compensate."

"His life story is a series of tragedies." Naoto said. "He was orphaned. His sister died when they were young. His friend Shinjiro was killed when they were in high school, and another of his friends died as a result of their battle against Nyx. Still, in the time we spent with him he didn't seem to be particularly hung up on any of that. He was always just focused on getting stronger."

"Maybe it's how he copes." Yang said. "He's been through so much. Maybe going from fight to fight is the only way he can deal with it all."

"Heads up guys!" Rise yelled. "Shadow incoming!"

A pair of metal double-doors at the far end of the room burst open. In walked what looked like a caricature of a bodybuilder. It had unnaturally matte black skin, wore a tiny red speedo, and had long blond hair and a mask for a face. It towered over them, easily ten feet tall. At first, the shadow seemed uninterested in the group. It walked across the room to where a large barbell sat on the floor. Both ends of the bar featured cartoonishly large weights, each labeled '1 Ton.' The shadow picked up the bar with one arm and did a bicep curl with ease. It laughed and turned toward the group. The shadow reached back and hurled the barbell at the group, just missing and leaving the mass of metal embedded in the wall behind them. It might have looked like a joke, but this shadow was definitely strong.

"I think it's time for a test of strength!" Yang declared. She rushed toward the shadow and punched it in the gut with all her might. The shadow did not budge. It let out a deep laugh, then with a casual swat sent Yang hurtling across the room. She landed on her side and tumbled across the floor before coming to a rest on her back. "That was dumb." She groaned. The shadow laughed at her pain and stood so that it was blocking the exit.

"Any idea what it's weak to Rise?" Yosuke asked.

"I can't get a clean scan." Rise complained. "There's too much interference."

After the shadow's tremendous display of strength against Yang, the group was hesitant to attack it. Growing impatient, the shadow picked up a rack of weights and tossed it at the group. They dove aside as the rack disintegrated and sent weights flying with a loud metallic crash. Yu sent his Persona in to challenge the towering shadow. Izanagi-no-Okami thrust its blade at the shadow, but the shadow punched the weapon aside and the force caused the Persona to spin around, leaving its back facing the shadow. Without hesitation, the shadow grabbed the Persona's head and slammed it down into the ground. Yu wobbled in a daze as his Persona began to fade. With a stomp, the shadow finished off his Persona and knocked Yu out cold.

Naoto's Persona assaulted the shadow with a series of fireballs. The shadow tried to come to grips with its attacker but the Persona was too quick. As Naoto's Persona darted back and forth, Weiss summoned her Persona to join the fray. Ananke charged at the shadow, but was not fast enough. She shadow turned and punched at Ananke, striking the Persona's shield. Ananke slid back across the floor as a result of the force from the hit, but was able to recover in time to dodge as the shadow lunged forward to strike. Ananke struck the shadow in the mask with its shield, and it fell backward. This had unintended consequences. Naoto's Persona got caught between the shadow and the wall as the shadow slammed backward. Naoto was forced to withdraw her Persona while Weiss continued to fight with her own.

Now able to focus solely on Weiss' Persona, the shadow regained the advantage. Ananke thrust its sword at the shadow, but it dodged the strike. It pinned Ananke's head under its arm and, falling backward, slammed the Persona to the ground. The shadow then stood, lifted Ananke over its head, and threw the Persona across the room. The shadow stomped forward with confidence, approaching the downed Persona. Blake quickly summoned Diana and the Persona unleashed an electrified arrow at the shadow. The arrow found the eye hole in the shadow's mask. The shadow roared in pain and grabbed its face as it stumbled away. Now was the prime opportunity to attack. Yosuke and Ruby used blasts of wind from their Personas to knock the wounded shadow off its feet. Diana flew above the shadow and fired an arrow down into its torso, pinning it to the floor. As the shadow struggled, Ananke got back to its feet and approached. The Persona hefted its sword, the brought it crashing down on the shadow's neck, decapitating it. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"That was really good teamwork." Rise praised the others. "And now my scans are clearer. I can at least figure out the layout of the area. Including this one, there are three rooms. I think Akihiko is in the last one, but it's still a bit fuzzy."

"Can you sense any shadows?" Ruby asked.

"Sort of." Rise replied. "It's hard to tell. There must be more here but I can't tell exactly where."

* * *

The group proceeded into the next room. In the center was a wrestling or boxing ring lit by several spotlights. As soon as they had all entered, the doors locked. "Two will enter, one will leave!" A voice from an unknown source boomed through the room. "Who will represent you in this fight? Enter the ring, champion!"

"To hell with this one-on-one crap." Yosuke said. "Let's all get in the ring." He and Yang climbed into the ring, sliding under the bottom rope.

"The match won't start until you select a combatant!" The announcer voice bellowed. "This isn't a tag-team match!"

"I guess we really don't have a choice." Yang said. "I guess I'll fight."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I've got this." Yang said as she slammed her fists together. Yosuke climbed out of the ring, leaving Yang alone.

"Our fight is finally set!" The announcer thundered. "Our first fighter comes all the way from Vale on Remnant, by way of Patch! It's Yang Xiao-Long!" Yang could not help but be hyped up by the introduction. She cracked her knuckles and waited for her opponent to appear. "Next up, our defending champion, from parts unknown, the mysterious masked man, El Diablo!" A glob of black sludge dropped down from the ceiling and into the ring. It formed into a man with burning skin who wore a luchador mask. "Now fighters, let's have a good clean match, to the death!" A bell rang and the fight was on.

Yang and the shadow face each other in the center of the ring, circling around and looking for an opening. The shadow stepped back and shouted a battle cry as flames erupted all around it. Yang crouched into her stance and slammed her fists together. To her surprise, her hair erupted in flames the way it did when her semblance was activated. She was excited to be fighting in her accustomed style again. The shadow ran at Yang as she lined up to punch it. Her strike went high as the shadow ducked under her fist. It stopped behind her and elbowed Yang in the back of the head. Yang turned and swung her fist around, but the shadow once again evaded the strike, dropping down to its knee. It grabbed both of Yang's legs and with a pull sent her slamming down onto her back.

The shadow jumped into the air and brought its fist down toward Yang, but she rolled out of the way just in time and sprung to her feet. She punched at the shadow but it ducked again, this time hitting her with a counter uppercut. Yang wobbled and the shadow grabbed her by the arm, slinging her toward the ropes. Yang bounced off the elastic barrier. The shadow jumped up, landed on her shoulder with its knees, then back flipped with her head pinned between its legs. Yang was flipped completely over and slammed down on her back. The shadow climbed atop the ropes in the corner and dove off at Yang. She lifted her knees just as the shadow arrived, digging into its midsection. The shadow bounced off and rolled around on the floor in pain.

Yang was hurting and struggled to her feet as the shadow did the same. Both arrived at the middle of the ring at the same time. Yang reared back and punched the shadow in the face. The shadow stumbled back but lunged forward with a punch of its own. The strike landed, hitting Yang in the cheek and she staggered back before unleashing her own punch. The shadow was hit in the forehead and wobbled, almost falling as it spun around and struggled to stay up. Yang charged at the shadow, but it suddenly recovered and hit her with a dropkick, knocking her to the mat. Both combatants lay there for a moment, exhausted by their battle.

The shadow got to its hands and knees while Yang still lay on her back, seemingly unconscious. The shadow crawled over and straddled Yang. Fire erupted from its fist as it reared up to strike. Yang's eyes snapped open and she caught the shadow's fist. Her hair became engulfed in flames and her eyes turned red. Yang tugged on the shadow's arm and rolled, ending up sitting on its chest. She furiously rained down blows as the shadow desperately tried to defend itself. Yang pounded the shadow in the face again and again and soon it stopped struggling. She continued to punch it until the shadow melted and evaporated away.

Yang stood in the center of the ring breathing heavily. Slowly, the fire in her hair began to fade and her eyes returned to their normal lilac. "Your winner, by fatal knockout, Yang Xiao-Long!" The announcer shouted. Yang raised her fist over her head and did a victorious victory lap around the ring, playing to a non-existent crowd.

"Yang, are you okay?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Yang said. "He wasn't that tough."

"But you're bleeding." Ruby said.

Yang drew her hand across her forehead and wiped away some blood. "No big deal." Yang said. "I've had worse."

"That fight looked pretty rough." Rise said. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Don't worry about it." Yang said. "That felt great."

"Alright then, let's move on." Yosuke said.

"Akihiko's definitely in the next room with a shadow." Rise said. "Let's go."

* * *

"I feel pretty good about this fight." Akihiko said. He moved around the MMA cage, throwing punches at an imaginary opponent. "Training's been going really well. That guy doesn't stand a chance. The title will be mine!"

"I'm glad you're confident, but aren't you pushing yourself a bit hard." Miki said. Akihiko's sister was also his manager. "It wouldn't do you any good to wear yourself out before you even have the chance to fight."

"I know my limits." Akihiko said. He stopped his imaginary battle and walked over to his sister who leaned against the cage beside the door. "Besides, it would be even worse if I showed up to fight totally unprepared."

"Well, you know you I guess." Miki shrugged. "So, are you ready to head home? You've been working out for hours."

"I guess I could go for a meal and some rest." Akihiko said. "I've hit all my goals for today."

"Akihiko!" Rise called as the group rushed into the room and approached the cage. For the group entering, the room was all wrong. The ceiling was so high above them as to be invisible, and the area surrounding the cage was empty and as expansive as a sports arena.

"Who's that?" Miki asked.

"Probably just another fan." Akihiko said. "For some reason the ladies just love to follow me around." He turned to the approaching group. "Sorry guys, if you wanted to watch me train you're too late. I'm going home."

"We're here to rescue you." Ruby said.

"Rescue me?" Akihiko said. "What are you talking about?"

"This world is all a…who's she?" Yosuke asked. The woman had a clear resemblance to Akihiko, but they had never seen her before.

"This is my sister and manager Miki." Akihiko said.

"You don't remember do you?" Naoto asked.

"Remember what?" Akihiko asked. He was thoroughly confused by the encounter with the mysterious group, but for some reason could not just leave them.

"Akihiko, this world is just a dream." Naoto said. "Your sister died when you were children."

"That's absurd." Akihiko scoffed. "She's standing right here. What do you guys really want huh? Have you come to throw me off my game? The champ is always playing mind games."

"Don't you remember?" Naoto asked. "Miki died in a fire at the orphanage. You tried to save her but couldn't."

"But that…the orphanage…fire?" Akihiko stammered. With an angry grunt her grabbed both sides of his head as pain shot through his skull. "No, no, no…I don't want to remember. This is…Miki's alive damn it!"

"You know that isn't true." Yang said. "This is just a dream and you need to wake up."

"Leave him alone!" Miki shouted. She stepped between the group and the cage. "I won't let you take him! I won't let him return to his suffering!"


	30. Atonement

Chapter 30

The MMA cage grew taller, bent and closed over to encase Akihiko as Miki stared at Teams RWBY and YYRN. "He wants to stay here!" Miki shouted. She became engulfed in swirling black liquid. The shadow's true form was revealed, a phoenix with a twenty foot wingspan.

Weiss summoned her Persona to fire a blast of ice at the shadow. The ice melted then turned to steam long before reaching the shadow. The shadow swept down and grabbed Weiss by the shoulders with its talons, lifting her high off the ground as she struggled to fight it off. Weiss was unable to reach the shadow and her Persona was unable to attack it with Weiss so close. Once at sufficient altitude, the shadow released her and Weiss plummeted toward the ground. Ananke rushed forward and caught Weiss just before she impacted the ground, but the distraction provided a perfect opening for the shadow. Flames surrounded the shadow as it dive-bombed into Ananke's back. Persona and wielder tumbled across the floor and Ananke began to fade as Weiss neared unconsciousness.

Hoping for a repeat of their previous fight against an airborne shadow, Yosuke summoned his Persona and used it to blast the shadow with wind. Rather than harming the shadow or knocking it off course, the wind fanned the flames that still surrounded it. The fire swirled and grew, and then when Yosuke's Persona eased off, the shadow hurled a fiery blast at it. An inferno surrounded Yosuke's Persona and it rapidly faded as Yosuke dropped unconscious. Some flames still remained around the shadow and it lined up to unleash them in another blast, this time against the helpless Yosuke himself. The shadow launched a stream of fire, but it was met midair by an opposing blast of fire from Yang's Persona. The Persona and the shadow struggled against one another, producing a boiling mass of flame. Finally the shadow relented and the fire surged upward to engulf it. Rather than hurting the shadow, the flames came under the shadow's control and powered it up. Surrounded by fire, the shadow swooped down and hit Yang's Persona in the chest, talons first. Turan was knocked onto its back and the shadow as soon upon it, tearing at the persona with claws and teeth until Yang was forced to withdraw her Persona.

Naoto summoned her Persona and it swooped in to slash at the shadow with its saber. After delivering a slash the Persona stayed in motion, swooping past the shadow to line up for another strike. The shadow unleashed a blast of fire at Yamato Sumeragi, which the Persona deflected away with a gust of wind. On this pass Yamato Sumeragi sliced down the shadow's back and continued on. She shadow roared in pain, turned and launched another fireball at the Persona. The attack was off target and Yamato Sumeragi came in for another attack. This time the shadow did not wait for the Persona to arrive. It flew at Yamato Sumeragi at high speed as the Persona attempted to break off the attack. The shadow adjusted to the move and slammed into Yamato Sumeragi in a fiery blast. Naoto dropped to a knee in pain and withdrew her Persona as it fell earthward.

"You need to take it out of the sky." Rise advised. "It's too fast when it's in the air."

"I have a plan." Blake said. "I need all your Personas." Ruby, Yu, Yang and Weiss summoned their Personas. Ruby and Naoto used their guns to keep the shadow back while perpetrations were made. "They need to hold onto this." Blake tossed one half of Gambol Shroud, extended on its tether, to the assembled group of Personas. They formed a closely packed cluster as they gripped the weapon tightly. "Diana!" Blake summoned her Persona. She gave it the other half of her weapon. Diana wrapped Gambol Shroud's tether around one of its arrows and took aim at the shadow as it swept in for another attack on the group. Diana fired and the arrow sunk into the shadow's chest. The shadow shrieked as the tether, anchored by the Personas, slung the shadow into the ground.

Ruby was not about to give the shadow an opportunity to recover. She raced toward the struggling shadow trailing Crescent Rose behind her. She swung her weapon around underhand and sliced through one of the shadow's wings, producing a burst of flame and black liquid. Yu joined in and used his Katana to clip the shadow's other wing as well. With the shadow grounded Blake retook possession of her weapon from the Personas. Retracting the tether she launched herself at the shadow, landing on its torso. She repeatedly plunged Gambol Shroud's blade into the shadow until it finally melted and evaporated away.

"Nice job Blake." Weiss said. "That was a clever plan."

"I have my moments." Blake said.

"I'm a little disappointed I didn't come up with it first." Ruby said.

"Oh, let her have this one." Yang said. "You can't be responsible for taking down every giant flying monster."

"I for one am getting pretty sick of the giant flying monsters and falling out of the sky." Weiss said.

"Come on; let's wake up our friend here." Blake said as she approached the cage.

Yu summoned his Persona. It thrust its blade through the twisted cage and sliced it open to free Akihiko. "Are you alright?" Yu asked.

"What do you think?" Akihiko shot back.

"Come on now, it's time to wake up." Rise said.

"What if I don't want to wake up?" Akihiko said. "What if I like it here better? I didn't have to watch my sister burn, I didn't have to watch my friends die. Once you guys leave, I bet things will go back to the way they were and I won't even remember you were here. Then I can be happy again."

"You know, for a tough guy, you're acting like a real wuss." Yosuke said.

"You punk I'll…" Akihiko lunged at Yosuke but Yu's Persona held him back.

"You can take it." Yosuke said. "You're strong enough to face reality. You just don't want to because it hurts. Is it really better to live in a fantasy?"

"What would Shinjiro say if he saw you like this?" Naoto asked.

Akihiko sighed heavily. "He'd probably call me an ass and tell me to suck it up." He admitted.

"Mitsuru would execute you too." Rise said.

"So, are you strong enough to wake up?" Yang asked. "Or do you not have the guts?"

"Of course I'm strong enough!" Akihiko declared. "I'll show you just how strong I am!" With that the world began to melt as the dream collapsed.

* * *

When Teams YYRN and RWBY exited the television, Akihiko was arguing with Kikuno. "I want the painkillers stopped now!" Akihiko shouted. He ripped the IV out of his arm with a squirt of blood. "I've got to help them save the others." Fresh blood ran from his nose.

"You're not going anywhere." Kikuno said calmly. "You have ligament damage in your shoulder and a concussion. You'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

"I don't care how beat up I am." Akihiko said. "My strength of will is all I need! Besides, my shoulder doesn't even hurt." He flexed his arm and winced as the damaged tissue in his shoulder ground together. "See!" He tried to play it off.

"The doctors want you to remain here for treatment." Kikuno said. "Your IV contains important compounds that will speed your recovery."

"I don't need that." Akihiko said. He turned to the approaching group. "Tell her I don't need it. Tell her you want me to come along."

"Well, I don't know." Naoto said. "I think it would be better if you rested."

"Yeah, we didn't save you just so you could hurt yourself." Blake said.

"Not you guys too." Akihiko sighed. "Come on. This is crap! This is…" His eyes rolled back and he fell into his bed unconscious.

Kikuno stood behind him holding a syringe. "Thank you for distracting him." Kikuno said. "I told the doctors we should have put a sedative in his IV to prevent this sort of things. He is quite headstrong."

"Maybe if you turned recovery into a challenge that would help." Yang suggested. "It worked in getting him to wake up."

"That's a good idea." Kikuno said. "I think that could work. Thank you."

"So, what should we do now?" Ruby asked as the group headed for the exit.

"We could go see the Statue of Liberty." Rise suggested.

"I don't know if I'm interested in some statue." Yang said.

"This isn't just some statue." Naoto said. "It's gigantic and historic."

"I guess it could be interesting." Blake said.

* * *

"The view had better be worth it after all these stairs." Yosuke said as the group wound their way up to the Statue of Liberty's observation deck.

"Statues usually commemorate someone or something right?" Weiss asked. "What's this one for?"

"France gave it to the United States to commemorate its first centennial." Naoto said.

"Basically, happy 100th birthday to the country." Yu said. "It also represents freedom and democracy."

"That's one heck of a birthday present." Yang said.

They reached the top and rushed to the windows to look outside. "You can't see much of the city from here." Ruby said with some disappointment. "It's still beautiful though."

* * *

When the group arrived at the warehouse the next day, Akihiko immediately called them over to his bedside. "Hey guys, I wanted to thank you." He said. "Not just for saving me either, thanks for helping all of us. We're supposed to be the ones protecting you, but it always seems to be the opposite."

"Don't mention it." Yu said. "Anything for our friends."

"Oh and, uh, don't tell anyone about how I acted in there." Akihiko said. "I was weak and selfish. I should be better than that. Besides, if Mitsuru found out she'd execute me."

"Cooperate with Kikuno and the doctors and we won't tell." Yang said. Akihiko sighed and looked disappointed, but nodded his agreement. "You're a boxer right? I can tell by the way your fists were wrapped when we found you guys."

"Yeah, I was a boxer." Akihiko said. "I've since mastered several martial arts."

"I know a variety of styles, but I'm primarily a boxer too." Yang said.

"Interesting." Akihiko said, scratching his chin. "You're pretty strong. We should spar."

"How about this; if you listen to the doctors and heal up, we'll have a match." Yang said.

"I'll take that deal." Akihiko agreed. He smiled. "I've got to warn you though, I won't hold back."

"Good." Yang said with a smile of her own. "If you did the fight wouldn't last thirty seconds. That would be disappointing."

"So, do you two want some privacy?" Blake asked.

"What do you mean?" Akihiko asked.

"Oh, I just thought you two were about to make out." Blake replied with a mischievous grin.

"I'm not very socially aware." Akihiko said. "Is that what you were getting at?

"You wish." Yang said. She tried to hide her embarrassment but her blushing gave the game away.

"I bet Chie would be pretty jealous." Yosuke said. "She's got a think for Akihiko too." Yang turned and punched him in the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for? She started it and you didn't hit her!"

"Let's just go." Yang said. "We've got more people to rescue." Yang stormed off and dove through the television.

"We still need some information." Naoto said. "Can you tell us anything about the person who did this to you?"

"Not really, I never got a good look at the guy." Akihiko said. "Aigis is the one you should ask. While I was conscious, she was the only one who got close to him, and I think he did something to her. After they faced off Aigis kind of froze. When I rushed forward to help, it was too dark to see the guy clearly. I threw a punch but he caught my fist and twisted my arm until my shoulder dislocated. I tried to twist with him and that put him behind me. He grabbed the back of my head and slammed my face into the ground, and that's when I got KO'd. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful."

"It's alright." Yu said. "The others didn't get a good look either."

"I remember that he was shorter than me." Akihiko said. "It felt like I'd seen him before but I can't think of who he reminded me of."

"The others said that too." Naoto said. "Yukari said he reminded her of someone who was dead. Does that help?"

"No, sorry." Akihiko said. "I guess it's the concussion but it's all a little fuzzy. If it comes back to me I'll let you know."

* * *

With five doors boarded up, the group moved to the sixth. 'Atonement' was inscribed on it. "Well, out of the remaining three I'd say Mitsuru Kirijo is the most likely." Naoto said. "Under the leadership of her grandfather, the Kirijo Group did terrible things. In my contact with her, it's been clear that she feels very badly about her family's past and she seems determined to correct those wrongs as much as is possible. It's how she got involved in fighting shadows in the first place."

The group passed through the door and emerged into what looked like the courtyard of a mansion. A path of ornate pavers led to a set of stairs up to the colonnaded entrance of the mansion itself. Whitewashed classical architecture towered overhead. The courtyard was ringed by high impeccably trimmed hedges. Beside the door stood a maid dressed like Kikuno.

"So the maid's a shadow right?" Yosuke asked.

Rise scanned with her Persona. "Nope, she's not even really there." Rise said. "The shadow's actually inside." The door swung open and another maid, this one wielding a spear, stepped out. "There it is."

"It doesn't look so tough." Yang said. She charged toward the shadow, evading its spear and unleashing a right hook. The shadow leaned backward and avoided the strike, then jumped aside as Yang followed up with an attempted body shot. Yang fired a straight right at the shadow's face but the shadow leapt back and thrust its spear forward at Yang's throat. She leaned back far enough that the spear just nicked her skin then grabbed the spear and pushed it aside. The shadow went with the motion of Yang's counter, turned and slammed the spear's shaft into the side of her head. As Yang stumbled back the shadow pole-vaulted into a kick that hit Yang squarely in the face and sent her tumbling.

Blake entered the fray by summoning her Persona. Diana unleashed an arrow charged with electricity. The arrow crashed through the shadow's chest and out its back. Though black liquid oozed from the resultant holes, the shadow was undeterred. The shadow pointed its spear at Diana and a blast of fire emanated from the weapon. The Persona was engulfed in flames, forcing Blake to withdraw it. The shadow then threw its spear directly at Blake. She dove aside and the spear stuck in the ground briefly before melting into a black puddle. The puddle moved across the ground to the shadow, climbed up into its hand and reformed into a spear.

Yu and Yosuke teamed up to attack they shadow. The rushed it, passing on either side of its outstretched spear. Yu slashed with his katana and the shadow blocked the strike with the spear. Yosuke attacked from the other side by stabbing with his kunai, but the shadow contorted to avoid the strike. The shadow held its spear vertical and jumped back. He lowered its weapon to a horizontal position, then spun around. The shaft slammed into Yosuke's side and pushed him into Yu, knocking them both to the ground. The shadow stabbed down at Yosuke, but he rolled out of the way and the attack only succeeded in pinning his jacket. Yu grabbed the spear in an attempt to use it to pull the shadow off balance. As soon as he tugged, the spear melted in his hands before it reformed once again out of his grasp. The pair were clearly outmatched and knew it. Both summoned their Personas as they retreated but it did little good. Electricity flew from the shadow's spear and struck Yosuke's Persona. He was just able to withdraw it before the attack knocked him out. A gust of wind from the shadow then forced Yu to withdraw his Persona.

Ruby fired Crescent Rose backward to launch herself into the fight. She flew over the shadow's head, just catching her scythe on its shoulder. The blade easily sliced through, leaving a gaping wound that oozed black sludge. Ruby landed and spun in a circle, hoping to catch the shadow with her blade. The shadow leapt over the attack, the jumped back as Ruby slammed her blade down to spike it from above. The shadow then stabbed its spear into the ground and ice erupted around Crescent Rose, locking the blade in place. As Ruby struggled to free her weapon, the shadow went on the offensive. It thrust its spear at Ruby who barely managed to dodge the attack by vaulting over her weapon. The shadow stabbed again and Ruby kicked the spear aside. Ruby fired Crescent Rose and the ice surrounding the weapon's blade exploded into tiny shards. She rocked the weapon back with the blade still planted in the ground and fired. The shot crashed through the shadow's knee and severed its leg. The shadow struggled to balance itself for a moment before falling to the ground. Ruby placed Crescent Rose's blade next to the shadow's neck. She pulled the trigger, the recoil from the resulting shot forcing the blade through the shadow's neck and severing its head. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"Oh, my jacket's ruined." Yosuke moaned.

"Just be glad you're still in one piece." Yu said. "Besides, Kanji can fix it."

"I feel like the shadows are getting more aggressive and varied in their abilities." Blake said. "We should take greater care going forward."

"So, where's Mitsuru?" Weiss asked. "I want to get done with this place as soon as possible."

"She's inside the mansion." Rise said as she scanned with her Persona. "I can't get a good fix on her location through."

"Why don't you like this place Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"It reminds me of home." Weiss said. "You know how I feel about my family. Come on, let's get this over with."


	31. Family

Chapter 31

The group headed up the stairs and through the doors into the mansion. They found themselves standing before a grand staircase with ornately carved bannisters and held up by wood carved to mimic the columns outside. A red carpet ran down the stairs and to the door, cutting through the center of a marble floor. Large windows filled the room with natural light. "My family's mansion is better." Weiss said.

"For someone who hates her family, you sure like to brag." Blake said.

"I don't hate them." Weiss protested. "I just…I'm ashamed."

"No time to enjoy the view." Rise said. "There's a shadow here."

A glob of black sludge fell from the ceiling, creating a puddle at the base of the stairs. It slowly formed into the shape of a fencer holding a long thing sword. The carpet and floor beneath rose up to create a narrow platform above the rest of the room, on a level with the floor at the top of the stairs. Most of the group dove off either side to the floor below but Weiss remained behind. She could see what the shadow was getting at. It was to be a fencing match. A gentle red glow surrounded the platform. Weiss reached out to touch it, only to receive an electric shock. Apparently the fight would be one-on-one with no escape.

"We need to get up there and help her." Yosuke said.

"I think she has it under control." Ruby said.

"Yes, her swordplay is excellent." Blake commented.

Weiss held Myrtenaster in her left hand, holding it nearly horizontal to the ground with the tip pointed at the shadow. The shadow turned and mimicked the pose. For a moment the combatants only sized each other up. The shadow made the first move, shuffling forward and thrusting its blade at Weiss' stomach. Weiss parried the hit, deflecting the shadow's blade down into the floor. She slid forward, stabbing for the shadow's face, but the shadow jumped back and swatted her blade away with its own. Weiss backed off and both returned to their starting positions.

This time Weiss acted first. She stepped up and stabbed at the shadow's face, only to break off her attack at the last moment. The shadow went to block high, leaving itself open as Weiss shifted her blade to stab at its chest. The shadow bent over backwards as Myrtenaster scraped across its chest, leaving a superficial wound the oozed black liquid. It recovered and knocked Weiss' blade back then stabbed at her feet. Weiss jumped over the attack, landing atop the shadow's sword. The shadow whipped its sword up and back, and Weiss did a graceful backflip, landing in her original position.

"See, she's an expert." Blake said as the others watched.

Behind its fencing mask, the shadow's face was invisible, but Weiss could sense a devious smile. Weiss decided to strike before it could act and lunged for its chest. The shadow jumped back, leaving a pillar of ice in its place. Myrtenaster stuck in the ice. "No fair!" Ruby yelled. Weiss struggled to free her weapon as the shadow approached. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster to fire dust. She pulled the trigger and a narrow blast of flame leapt from her weapon, cutting through the ice. The shadow was already upon her. Instinctively, Weiss attempted to generate a glyph that would boost her out of danger. To everyone's surprise, instead of her Persona appearing, the glyph arrived on command and Weiss zipped away just as the shadow stabbed its blade through where she had been standing.

"It's over." Blake said.

"What do you mean?" Naoto asked.

"Now that she's got her glyphs the shadow won't have an answer." Blake explained.

The shadow lost the air of calm and confidence it had had at the beginning of the fight. It charged at Weiss with reckless abandon. Weiss summoned a line of glyphs that allowed her to slide at the shadow with tremendous speed. Bladed collided in a shower of sparks as the two met and Weiss got the better of the engagement. Myrtenaster pierced the shadow's chest and emerged from its back in a shower of black liquid. Weiss' momentum carried them both, slamming the pair into the wall atop the stairs. Pinned in place by Weiss' blade, the shadow swiped at her furiously with its sword. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster to ice. With a pull of the trigger she forced ice directly into the shadow's body. The growing crystals ripped the shadow apart. The pieces fell to the ground, melted and evaporated away.

The battle over, the force field surrounding the platform faded and the floor returned to its previous configuration. "I didn't even break a sweat." Weiss bragged.

"You displayed impressive skill." Naoto said. "I took some classes in fencing but your abilities put mine to shame."

"Don't encourage her." Yang said. "She's got enough of an ego already."

"Hey!" Weiss protested.

"Yeah, she's hard enough to get along with as it is." Blake added.

"Hey!" Weiss complained again.

"I think you're great." Ruby said.

"I don't care." Weiss pouted.

"Come on guys." Rise said. "I know where Mitsuru is. Let's go."

* * *

Mitsuru entered her father's office and stood before his desk. The room was huge. Two-story tall windows overlooked the beach and ocean, a spectacular view. Ornate wood paneling lined the walls, a stark contrast to the simple but sturdy desk at which her father sat. Her father aligned the papers he had been looking through and placed them down. "Good, you're here." He said, looking up.

"I came as soon as I could." Mitsuru said. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to talk." Her father replied. "I know that's something we don't do often enough. You've done a lot to help this company. I know our family's past is a burden on you, but you have done an admirable job shouldering it."

"I am dedicated to the restoration of our good name." Mitsuru said.

"I know." Her father said. "That's why I'm stepping down as the chairman of the board of directors, in favor of you."

"You can't…that is you shouldn't…I couldn't possibly." Mitsuru was flabbergasted. "Why?"

"I spent my tenure as the leader of the Kirijo Group doing what I could to right the wrongs of the past." Her father explained. "It wasn't until you joined in that effort that the matter was finally put to rest. Unfortunately, I still stand too firmly in the past. It is time for a new generation to look to the future."

"I don't think I'm ready." Mitsuru protested.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Her father said. "I wasn't ready either. No one is ever really ready for a task of this magnitude. That said, everything you've accomplished proves to me that you are the one to lead us. And don't worry, I'm not just going to disappear. I'll remain with the company in some capacity."

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Her father said. "My time was then. Your time is now."

"She's in here!" A voice shouted in the hallway outside. Moments later, Teams RWBY and YYRN burst through the heavy wood doors and into the office.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Mitsuru's father demanded. His tall stature, eye patch and formal attire made him an intimidating figure.

"Shut it shadow!" Yosuke shot back unfazed. He turned to Rise. "He is the shadow right?" Rise nodded. "Yeah, back off."

"Mitsuru, this is all a dream and you need to wake up." Blake said.

"What are you talking about?" Mitsuru asked. "Who are you people? How did you get past the guards?"

"Don't you remember us?" Yu asked. "We fought shadows together in Inaba."

"Inaba?" Mitsuru said. "I've never heard of it."

"Get out of here this instant or I'm calling the police!" Mitsuru's father threatened.

"Shut up, monster." Ruby said.

"Don't talk to my father like that!" Mitsuru shouted.

"Mitsuru, he's not your father." Naoto said.

"What are you talking about?" Mitsuru asked. "Of course he is."

"Don't you remember?" Naoto asked. "Your father is dead and has been for years."

"That's preposterous." Mitsuru's father said. "I'm right here."

"He was murdered by Shuji Ikutsuki." Naoto continued. "Don't you remember Tartarus? The Dark Hour? SEES? The Shadow Operatives?"

"Shadow Operatives?" Mitsuru said. An intense pain filled her head and she grabbed it with both hands, falling into a crouch. "No, I don't want to remember! No! This isn't a dream!"

"I demand you leave this instant!" Mitsuru's father boomed. "I will not let you hurt her anymore. She must not suffer any longer."

"Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way." Yang said.

"Fine, if that's the way it must be." Mitsuru's father sighed. He was engulfed by a mass of black sludge. As the wave of blackness subsided, it revealed the shadow's true form. The shadow was almost as tall as the ceiling. It remained humanoid and retained Mitsuru's father's facial features. Its skin was metallic. One of its forearms had been replaced by a blade and the other by a minigun.

Blake summoned her Persona and it fired an arrow charged with electricity. The arrow glanced off the shadow's metal skin and flew harmlessly out the window. The shadow turned and aimed its minigun at Diana. It riddled the Persona with bullets until it faded away and Blake lost consciousness. Yosuke summoned his Persona and with a tremendous blast of wind, sent the shadow tumbling through the windows and down onto the beach. Yosuke's Persona followed, getting too close for the shadow to effectively use its gun. The shadow stabbed at the Persona with its blade but the attack was parried. It lunged forward, swinging its gun arm around, and this struck Yosuke's Persona in the face. The wounded Persona dropped to the ground. The shadow turned and plunged its blade into the Persona. Yosuke's Persona faded and he fell unconscious.

Yang rushed around the shadow's flank and summoned her Persona. While Diana kept the shadow distracted, throwing fireballs and dodging its counter attacks, Yang closed in to engage. The shadow saw her coming and swatted her away with its gun arm. The weapon smashed into the side of Yang's head and she was sent hurtling through the air to a hard landing in the sand nearby. Before the shadow could follow up Naoto summoned her Persona and blasted the shadow with wind. The shadow was unharmed but knocked off balance by the attack. Naoto moved up and took cover behind a tree at the edge of the beach, firing at the shadow with her rifle. Her Persona continued to assail the shadow with wind but it managed to find its footing. Finding it easier to attack the Persona wielder than the Persona itself, the shadow turned its attention to Naoto. It fired a burst in her general direction, tearing through the tree she was using for cover. The tree was shredded, sending splinters flying that cut into Naoto's face and arm and forced her to retreat.

Ruby and Weiss summoned their Persona's. Ruby's kept the shadow off balance with wind while Weiss' approached to attack. The shadow aimed its gun at Ananke and fired, but the Persona blocked the salvo with its shield and countered with a horizontal slash from its sword. The shadow blocked the slash but was knocked off balance by another blast of wind from Ruby's Persona. Ananke bashed the shadow in the face with its shield and it staggered back into the ocean. Ananke thrust its blade at the shadow and the shadow blocked with its gun. The blade slid between the barrels, rendering the gun useless but also trapping Ananke's sword. The shadow twisted its arm, wrenching the sword away from Ananke. The shadow stabbed with its own blade, slicing into Ananke's leg. The Persona dropped to a knee and Weiss withdrew it before being knocked out. The shadow turned and unleashed a burst of lead at Ruby's Persona. Summer was able to get off one more blast of wind before Ruby was forced to withdraw.

The shadow now stood knee deep in the ocean. Yu summoned his Persona and went on the offensive immediately. Izanagi-no-Okami stabbed at the shadow and the attack was deflected by the shadow's blade. The shadow countered by swinging its gun around to strike the Persona, but it caught the attack with the other end of its weapon. Physical attacks were clearly not working so Yu went for broke. His Persona lowered its shoulder and shoved the shadow further out into the water. Then the Persona unleashed a massive blast of electricity. With the extra conductivity of the water the electricity coursed through the shadow. It began to smoke and parts blew off of its joints. Finally it melted and evaporated away.

The battle won, the group returned to the office to retrieve Mitsuru. Mitsuru stood where she had before the battle, staring down at the floor. Yosuke approached her. "Come on now, it's time to wake up." He said. She did not respond.

"It's alright." Weiss said, stepping forward. "You're not the only one with family issues."

Mitsuru's head snapped up, fire in her eyes. She kicked Yosuke in the groin, grabbed him by the shoulders as he doubled over, and then shoved him into Weiss, knocking them both to the ground with Yosuke on top. Mitsuru followed, driving her knee into Yosuke's back to pin the pair to the floor. She reached down and grabbed Myrtenaster off of Weiss' hip then jumped back to her feet, pointing the blade at the group. "Why did you come here?" Mitsuru growled. "Why are you so determined to destroy my happiness?"

"Mitsuru, calm down, we're only here to help." Rise pleaded.

"Help?" Mitsuru said. "How is this helping? I was happy. No more dead friends and family, no shadows."

"How can you be happy when you know the truth?" Naoto asked. "This is a fantasy, a dream. Would you really give up on real life? Would you give up on your real friends for these cheap knockoffs?"

"What does it matter to you?" Mitsuru challenged.

"Staying in this dream isn't going to make you happy, not really." Ruby said. "All it will do is make your friends sad. Would you want them to lose you the way you lost your father?"

Mitsuru looked conflicted. She shook with anger and pain. "Damn it!" She cried as she stabbed Myrtenaster down into the floor. "What the hell am I doing?"

"It's alright." Yu said. "We're here for you."

"Why did I have to go through all this again?" Mitsuru asked. "Why did I have to go through it in the first place?"

"Losing people is tough, but it's part of life." Yang said. "There's no way around it. I'm sorry you had to face it again, but staying here won't bring them back."

"I know." Mitsuru said. "I'm all too aware. I must seem like some kind of maniac to you, acting this way. It's a disgrace."

"It's not a disgrace." Blake said. "It's only natural to lash out in the face of pain. Right now what you need to do is wake up. Once we're back in the real world we can talk it over."

"Fine then." Mitsuru said. "It's time to end this dream." She passed Myrtenaster back to Weiss while the world began to melt as the dream collapsed.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Kikuno asked as the group returned from the shadow world. Naoto's face was bloody and Yang sported a prominent black eye. "Do you need medical attention?"

"They're not deep cuts." Naoto said. "I'll be fine." Even so, one of the doctors there to attend to the Shadow Operatives rushed over and examined Naoto's injuries. A nurse arrived just behind him to clean off the blood.

"It's nothing I can't handle." Yang said. A doctor approached her but she made very clear with her stance that she was not interested in his help. He wisely backed off.

"I don't think you'll need stitches." The doctor working on Naoto said. "Could you take off your jacket so I can examine your arm?" Naoto rolled her eyes, removed her jacket and handed it to Yu. The nurse cleaned the wounds and applied bandages.

"How is Mitsuru doing?" Ruby asked.

"She's going to be in a lot of pain when the painkillers wear off." Kikuno replied. "Feel free to speak to her."

"I need to go." Naoto told the doctor. She was polite but firm. The doctor shrugged and allowed her to go.

"Oh, you guys." Mitsuru said as the group approached.

"Not happy to see us?" Weiss asked.

"More like not happy to think about how I acted in front of you." Mitsuru said. "Thank you for saving me…and putting up with my outburst."

"It's not a problem." Yang assured her. "You should have seen how the others were."

"It's a relief to know that I'm not the only one who acted like a fool." Mitsuru said. "Still, as their leader, I should be above that."

"You're only human." Yosuke said. "Though you kick like a superhero."

"Yes, sorry about that." Mitsuru said. "I must also apologize for putting you all in a position where you had to risk your lives to save mine. I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, but again and again the opposite comes to pass." She looked at Team RWBY. "It might be the painkillers or the blow to the head I took, but I don't remember the four of you."

"We've never met." Ruby said. She gestured toward Team YYRN. "We're just friends of theirs."

"You seem to have collected quite the team of shadow fighters." Mitsuru said.

"So, can you tell us anything about the person who did this to you?" Naoto asked.

"Not much I'm afraid." Mitsuru replied. "We assaulted the warehouse and the culprit took down most of the others before I could even get a good look at him. After he knocked Akihiko out, I attacked with my sword. He dodged the strike and grabbed my arm, twisting until it broke. The he punched me repeatedly in the face, apparently until I lost consciousness."

"What about a physical description?" Naoto asked.

"As I said, I did not get a good look." Mitsuru answered. "He was too fast and it was too dark. He was on the shorter side and maybe looked a bit like…never mind. It couldn't have been. I'm sorry but I don't have anything else to add."

"That's alright, the others couldn't give us much either." Blake said.

"Do you have any idea what happened to Aigis and Labrys?" Naoto asked. "It would take incredible strength and skill to take either of them down, let alone both."

"Aigis froze for some reason." Mitsuru said. "I don't know why. I was not conscious long enough to see what happened to her or Labrys afterwards."

"We'll just have to ask them." Yu said. "Don't worry, we'll save them too."

"I have no doubt you will." Mitsuru said.


	32. The Whole Truth

Chapter 32

Two rather short train rides carried Teams RWBY and YYRN to New Jersey. The second brought them to a station adjacent to the stadium. Waters was waiting for them nearby wearing a blue shirt emblazoned with a bold white 11 with red trim. He was talking to a police officer he apparently knew but broke off the conversation as soon as the group arrived. "Good, you made it." He said. "And you don't stand out at all." It was hard to tell if that last bit was an insult or just a joke. "Well, you made it just in time."

"We didn't really know what constitutes proper attire for this sort of event." Naoto said.

"It's alright…Christ!" Waters exclaimed. "What happened to your face? You too? Are you in some kind of fight club? I know it wasn't one of the guys; they'd know better. Besides, you cut their balls off if they pulled that kind of shit. What happened?"

"We had an accident." Yang said, thinking quickly. "I tripped and grabbed hold of her to steady myself. We both fell, I hit my head and she got dragged across a tree."

"That sounds incredibly painful." Waters said.

"I've had worse." Naoto said.

"Do you need to see a doctor?" Waters asked. "There are some paramedics over there."

"No, it's already been checked out." Naoto said. "Don't worry about it."

"If you say so." Waters sighed. "So, I've never met most of you. How about some introductions? I'm detective Waters."

"Well, this is Rise." Naoto said. "She's the one who invited us here."

"Nice to meet you." Rise said, offering her hand. Waters shook it. His grip was a bit tight for her liking.

"I'm Ruby, this is my sister Yang, my friend Blake, and Weiss." Ruby said.

"Hey!" Weiss protested.

Waters shook each of their hands. Yang's grip was a little tight for his liking. He started leading them toward the stadium. "So, how do you know each other?" Waters asked. "Solve any murders together?"

"Not quite, but we did stop a series of kidnappings." Blake said.

"I didn't read anything about that." Waters said.

"It didn't get much coverage." Naoto said.

Their conversation was interrupted as they arrived at the gates and had to pass through security. Waters passed them their tickets and they headed through. Once inside, rather than going to the normal seating area, Waters led the group to a luxury box. It looked more like an apartment than anything else. Only the window overlooking the field indicated that it was not.

"This is super-fancy." Rise said. Even though she was used to VIP experiences she was impressed.

"So, how did you get access to this place?" Naoto asked. "I know you can't afford it, no offense."

"None taken." Waters said. "I used to work for the team…the Giants when I was training to be a cop. I befriended one of their retired players. He has access to this suite but his broadcasting job prevents him from using it most of the time. He lets me have it for one game a year."

"For someone who's so abrasive you sure do make a lot of friends." Naoto observed. "I guess as long as you're helping someone they don't care about that."

"Something like that." Waters said. There was clearly something on his mind. He leaned against a wall, his arms crossed on his chest with a hand on his chin. "So, I know that you know that I don't buy your story about those injuries. We've got an hour until the game starts, so I thought we could discuss the truth. I keep tabs on things going on around the region. It seems some seriously injured Japanese nationals were recently evacuated from the city. A few days before that a huge contingent of Japanese doctors, and interestingly engineers, arrived. What have you gotten yourselves into this time?"

"If we told you, you wouldn't believe us." Weiss said.

"I don't know, I think I would." Waters said. "It's all very bizarre. They come from some secret organization tied to a massive corporation, something called the Shadow Operatives. They took over an abandoned warehouse too."

"We're not involved in espionage if that's what you're thinking." Naoto said. "They just need our help."

"With?" Waters pressed.

"The operatives were kidnapped." Naoto explained. "The doctors arrived to treat them once they were recovered."

"Why no missing persons reports?" Waters asked.

"It wouldn't matter." Naoto said. "They weren't kidnapped in the traditional sense."

"You'll have to explain that one." Waters said. The group looked at him with unease, unsure what they should say. "Just come out and say it. I don't care how insane it sounds."

"Their minds were trapped in another dimension." Yu said, looking Waters in the eye. "We can access that dimension, fight the monsters there, and free them."

"I wasn't expecting that." Waters said. "I'm understandably skeptical."

"It's the truth." Naoto said. "Go to the warehouse, we haven't rescued all of them yet. You'll see."

"No, I believe you." Waters said to the group's shock. "I looked into that Inaba case. Nothing made sense. The perpetrator's statements sound insane but if taken at face value the whole thing falls into place. What you're telling me now isn't terribly different."

"Naoto, where the hell did you find this guy?" Yosuke asked. "No one believes us. You wouldn't even believe us until you saw it yourself."

"Evidence is evidence." Waters said. "Whether I think it's insane or not, there's no arguing with the truth."

"That's quite an enlightened view." Blake said.

"Is it?" Waters asked. "Maybe so. There is one more mystery. So, where do the four of you really come from?"

"We're from another planet in a parallel universe." Ruby replied.

"Wonderful." Waters sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help you guys?"

"Probably not." Yu said. "Not everyone can properly function in that world, and first timers are particularly at risk."

"Well, good luck." Waters said. "Please be careful. I'd hate for anything to happen to you kids." He leaned on the counter and buried his head in his hands. "Thank God there's alcohol here. Any of you want some?"

"Waters, I'm still 18." Naoto said. "So is Rise and the boys are 19."

"What about the aliens?" Waters asked.

"Those three are 18 and I'm 16." Ruby said.

"Well, I guess I'm drinking alone." Waters said.

* * *

"That was pretty fun." Yosuke said as the group rode the train back to the city after the game.

"Yeah, but hockey was better." Yang said.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked Naoto. She seemed lost in thought.

"I was just thinking about our conversation with Waters." Naoto said. "I wonder if he really believes us."

"Does it really matter?" Weiss asked.

"I'd hate to lose a friend over this." Naoto said. "He's pretty unforgiving when it comes to lying."

"He believes us." Yu said. "It's pretty clear that he trusts you."

Naoto looked surprised. "I…I guess I'm still not very good at judging people." Naoto sighed.

"He's still angry that you didn't just tell him the truth to begin with." Yu said.

"I guess I deserve that." Naoto said.

"Don't worry about it." Rise said. "You never know how someone will react to all that talk of other worlds, shadows and parallel universes. And I can't believe you guys told him you were from another planet."

* * *

"Please stay in bed." Kikuno pleaded with Akihiko as the group walked into the warehouse.

"The doctors said I could start rehabbing." Akihiko countered.

"You already finished your rehab." Kikuno said. "Now you need to rest. Besides, I doubt they had punching a solid wooden door to destruction with your bare fists in mind when they spoke about rehabilitation." Akihiko's injured arm was still in a sling but he punched away with his other, cracking the door a little more with each strike.

"Didn't you promise to listen?" Yang challenged him.

"I promised to listen to the doctors." Akihiko said. "They said I could start rehabbing again, so that's what I'm doing. We never agreed to anything about Kikuno." He reared back and punched, putting his fist straight through the door in a shower of splinters. He pulled his bloodied arm back through the hole, seemingly oblivious to the injury.

"I'm begging you, please rest." Kikuno said.

"Just a little longer." Akihiko said.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru shouted. "Rest, now!"

"Yes ma'am." Akihiko said. He was clearly disappointed. He walked back over to his bed without another word.

"I wish you could have done that ten minutes ago." Kikuno said. "Now he's going to need stitches in addition to his other treatment."

"That was amazing." Rise said. "It's like you've got a remote control."

"He knows better than to cross me." Mitsuru said with a mischievous smile. "He's been on the wrong end of a few of my kicks."

"I can confirm they hurt." Yosuke said.

"Yes, sorry again." Mitsuru said.

"No worries." Yang said. "So, are you feeling better today?"

"For someone with a broken arm and a head injury, whose mind was trapped in another dimension for a few days, I consider myself extremely lucky." Mitsuru said. "Whoever did this could have easily killed me. He could have killed us all. I wonder why he didn't."

"That's been bothering me too." Naoto said. "It's not like the kidnappings in Inaba or on Remnant. Those were committed with the expectation that the victims would die. This is different."

"Once we get our hands on the culprit, we can ask him." Blake said.

"If anyone can identify him, it would be Labrys and Aigis." Mitsuru advised. "Their sensors would have allowed them to see him clearly, even in the dark. Save them and I suspect you'll have your culprit."

"We'll get right on that." Ruby said. "Get some rest, we'll save them."

* * *

The dimly lit hallway was running out of doors. Only two remained, the other six boarded up. 'Fratricide' was engraved on the next door. "This has to be Labrys." Naoto said. "As part of the testing and development process, she was forced to kill her sister units. Those events defined her, at least until we met."

"That's horrible!" Ruby said.

"It gets worse." Naoto said. "After destroying them, the other units' memories were implanted into her, complete with emotions."

"Why would anyone do something so evil?" Blake asked.

"The researchers determined that emotional stress is integral to the manifestation of a Persona." Naoto explained. "They could not come up with a more extreme situation. By implanting the minds of the other units into Labrys, they were also able to save the combat data and anything the units learned. As horrible as it was, it worked. But Labrys was unstable and uncontrollable, so they shut her down."

"Of course she was unstable after that!" Blake exclaimed.

"Labrys spent years in storage and only woke up when she was dumped into the shadow world, by Sho Minazuki actually." Naoto said. "That created the incident during which we first met the Shadow Operatives. Labrys' shadow forced us to fight each other, but we were able to save Labrys and she gained a fully-formed Persona. She decided to join Aigis and the Shadow Operatives. Aigis and Labrys are as close to family as either one has."

"At least the story has a happy ending." Yang said. "That's one of the most horrific things I've ever heard."

"I wonder what her world will be like." Yosuke said. "Well, let's find out." He pushed the door open and passed through, followed by the others.

* * *

"I wasn't expecting this but I guess I should have." Yosuke said as the group stood just outside the gate of what appeared to be Yasogami High. "She did have a fixation with schools, and this is where she woke up."

"What is this place?" Ruby asked.

"It's our high school." Rise said. "Yu moved, Yosuke graduated, and Naoto and I are always busy, so none of us have been there much lately."

"This looks a lot different than the other school." Weiss observed.

"Yeah, this one is a lot more typical." Yosuke said. "It's not as fancy as Gekkoukan but we had some great times here." His mind drifted back to that fateful year. "Remember the beauty pageant? Good times."

"Remember your beauty pageant?" Naoto growled.

"Point taken, there will be no further discussion." Yosuke said.

"Come on Naoto, it wasn't that bad." Rise said. "Besides, you won!"

"Can we just drop it?" Naoto said. "I don't want to think about it. It was so embarrassing."

"You can't leave us hanging like this." Yang said.

"I'll tell you later." Rise promised. "Oh, you'll want to hear about the boys too."

"What have you done?!" Yu shouted as he grabbed Yosuke by the shoulders.

"Can we please focus?" Blake asked. "We've got work to do."

"Yeah, of course." Rise said. She summoned her Persona and began scanning. "I'm getting really frustrated with all the interference. I can tell that Labrys is here but not exactly where."

"I guess we'll just have to head in." Weiss said.

"Wait!" Rise warned. "There's a shadow!"

"What the hell are you little shits doing out here?" A voice shouted from just inside the school gates.

"Oh no, it couldn't be." Yosuke said.

"I think I'll have to teach you punks a lesson!" Mr. Morooka yelled.

"You'd think once he was dead we'd be done with the guy." Yosuke sighed. "But he just keeps coming back!"

The hated and feared teacher was engulfed in black liquid. When the shadow reformed it had completely changed. Gone was the hunched over, lanky old man, replaced by a twenty foot tall, obese humanoid black mass with an oversized head and huge razor-sharp teeth. Its arms were abnormally long and tipped with sharp claws. A mask above its mouth formed its face.

Naoto summoned her Persona and attacked, first with fire and then with wind. Neither was effective. Her Persona swept in to slash at the shadow with its sword, dodging with shadow's claws as it flailed about. Sweeping back in for another attack, Naoto's Persona was struck and stunned by one of the shadow's oversized arms. The shadow lunged forward, snatching Naoto's Persona with its teeth and shredding it until it faded, knocking Naoto out with it.

Blake and Yang ran at the shadow, ducking and dodging as it tried to knock them away with its claws. Blake detached the halves of Gambol Shroud and threw one, extended on its tether, up and into the shadow's shoulder where it sunk into the shadow's skin. Blake grabbed Yang around the waist and rapidly retracted the tether, launching both up at the shadow's head. Yang pushed off of Blake and landed an uppercut to the shadow's jaw while Blake continued on, slinging around to its back. Yang held on, repeatedly punching until the shadow was finally able to shake her off. Yang sailed away through the air but managed to land on her feet. Meanwhile, Blake slashed at the shadow's back, using the other half of Gambol Shroud to anchor her in place. Unfortunately the shadow's extremely long arms also proved flexible. The shadow reached back and grabbed Blake, ripping her off of its back.

As Blake struggled to get free the shadow drew her ever closer to its mouth. Yu attacked the shadow, slashing at its legs with his katana while his Persona attacked the arm carrying Blake. A powerful stab to the shoulder from Izanagi-no-Okami was enough to free Blake from the shadow's grasp, and she dropped to the ground in considerable pain. The shadow kicked Yu and he tumbled across the floor. His Persona also felt the hit and was stunned. The shadow took the opportunity to plunge its claws into the Persona's chest. Izanagi-no-Okami began to fade into static but counter attacked, stabbing the shadow in the chest with its blade. Yu withdrew his wounded Persona as the shadow retreated in pain, black goo dripping from its chest.

"Weiss, I'll give you a boost!" Yang called, taking a position in front of the shadow. Weiss ran at her, jumped and planted her foot in Yang's hands. Yang thrust Weiss skyward and she sailed toward the shadow. The shadow did not remain idle, swiping Yang away with its arm. She skidded across the ground and came to rest against a fence. Weiss hit her mark, jamming Myrtenaster into the wound created by Yu's Persona. She repeatedly stabbed at the insides of the wound as the shadow howled in pain. The shadow attempted to grab Weiss as it had Blake, but Yosuke summoned his Persona and blocked the effort. The shadow sprung at the Persona, slamming Takehaya Susano-o into Weiss. Weiss fell to the ground hard as the shadow slashed at the Persona in a frenzy. Yosuke was forced to withdraw but was able to pull the injured Weiss to safety first.

Significantly more black sludge gushed from the shadow's chest than before. Ruby lined up her shot. She ran forward and leapt, firing Crescent Rose backward for extra speed and height. She summoned her Persona and it further boosted her with a gust of wind. Ruby missed the existing wound as the shadow tried to duck under the flying Huntress, but Ruby was able to adjust her trajectory enough to hook its shoulder. With another gust of wind from her Persona, she was able to pull the shadow to the ground. Before the shadow could recover she leap up and hooked Crescent Rose into the shadow's wound. She fired the gun repeatedly, each shot ripping the scythe through more of the shadow until she finally cut completely out just under its arm. The shadow melted and evaporated away.

"Good job guys!" Rise exclaimed. "Now my scans are clearer. Labrys is somewhere in the main classroom building, but I have no idea where."

"The school isn't that big." Yosuke said. "Let's go find her."


	33. Fratricide

Chapter 33

"Of course not." Yosuke sighed as the group entered the school. "Why would it be?" The Yasogami High School of Labrys' dream was vastly different from the one that existed in the real world. "It doesn't even match the outside." Instead of a small entranceway packed with shoe lockers, it was spacious and at least twice as big as it should have been. The hallways that stretched off to either side looked endless, but judging by the lack of doors did not seem to have any classrooms. The ceiling was far too high and the staircase was stretched until it was dangerously steep.

"Well, Labrys is upstairs somewhere." Rise reported. "And there's a shadow on the way. It's…familiar."

"Well, well, well." A voice said, seemingly from everywhere. "Look who's back."

"Seriously?" Yosuke groaned. "Just when I thought things couldn't get weirder or more annoying. Alright, come on out you stupid bear."

"Stupid bear?!" The voice shouted back indignantly. "I am nothing of the sort! I am General Teddie!" Smoke billowed up from the floor forming a thick cloud. When it cleared General Teddie was there. "You fools thought you were done with me! Guess again! I will have my revenge!"

"It's not the real General Teddie." Rise indicated. "It's just another shadow."

"I think you'll find I'm real enough." General Teddie declared, a threatening tone creeping into his voice. "Now, if you want to move on, one of you will have to face me."

"What do you mean one of us?" Ruby asked.

"I mean this will be a one-on-one match." General Teddie explained. "Do you really think I'd be foolish enough to fight you all at once? Let's see, who will it be?"

"I'll do it." Yu volunteered.

"Nope." General Teddie said. "I'll be choosing my opponent. Oh, I have an idea. How about the kitty cat? Animal versus animal! I can _bear_ -ly contain my excitement!"

"I'm no animal!" Blake declared. "I'll end you for that insult!" She drew Gambol Shroud and stepped forward.

"Blake, hold on." Weiss said, reaching after her. Weiss' hand came up against an impenetrable and invisible barrier. "What is this?"

"I can't risk you interfering now can I?" General Teddie said with a sly smile. "Let's get this fight started." General Teddie snapped his hands out to his sides and long blades slid out from his knuckles. "I might look cute but this bear has claws!"

Blake charged forward, firing Gambol Shroud. The shadow held up a hand and a shield made of ice appeared, blocking the incoming shots. Blake continued to fire, creating cracks in the shield, until her magazine ran dry. The shadow smiled, leaned back and then thrust its arms forward. The ice shield fragmented into about a dozen jagged shards that fired towards Blake. Blake dove aside, her double taking the hit. Her semblance was working normally.

With Blake's attack halted, the shadow went on the offensive. Though the rotund shadow looked slow and clumsy, it moved with stunning alacrity. It lunged at Blake, thrusting its claws forward. Blake ducked back and knocked the shadow's arm away with her blade. Almost falling over backwards, Blake dropped her hand to the ground and pushed off to the side just as the shadow swiped at her with its other claw. The attack just missed. Blake cartwheeled back to her feet and stabbed forward with Gambol Shroud. The shadow dropped to the ground, falling under the attack, then rolled aside. It continued rolling, its vague cone shape forcing it around in a circle. The shadow rolled all the way around and Blake jumped over it. The shadow halted its roll immediately and stabbed upward at the airborne Blake. Blake kicked the claws away and planted both her feet on the shadow's face. She pushed up, vaulting into a backflip that landed her on her feet a few meters away.

The shadow growled and stood up. It ran at Blake and leapt into a spinning dive with its claws held forward. Blake raised Gambol Shroud to block the drill-like attack, but the shadow twisted the weapon away from her. It clattered across the floor and came to rest against the invisible wall. Blake had succeeded in stopping the shadow's momentum. Back on its feet it stabbed at her repeatedly as she side-stepped and leapt back to avoid the strikes. The shadow lashed out for a powerful swipe but missed and it stumbled off balance. Blake grabbed the shadow by the sides of its head and front flipped over it. Once behind it she kicked it in the back and sent it sprawling to the floor. Free for the moment, Blake rushed over and retrieved Gambol Shroud.

The shadow did not afford her much of a respite. With a high-pitched yell the shadow charged, wildly flailing its blade-tipped arms. Blake slid aside, leaving behind a double. The shadow crashed through the double and smashed face-first into the invisible wall. It staggered back dizzily and struggled to stay on its feet. Blake leapt at the chance and stabbed straight through the shadow's chest. There was almost no resistance. For a moment, Blake and the shadow stared at each other in shock. Then an evil smile crept across the shadow's face. Blake tried to withdraw her blade, but something held it in place. It was almost as if someone was holding onto it. The shadow began laughing maniacally but its arms remained limp at its sides. Desperate, Blake planted her foot on the shadow's chest and used it to wrench her blade free, slicing upwards as she tore it away.

The shadow's costume fell in half, revealing a thin blond boy inside. The boy had youthful and delicate features but the madness in its eye belied its true identity as a shadow. Though the suit was gone, the claws remained attached to the boy's hands, seemingly fused to his body. Blake and the shadow lunged forward at the same moment. The shadow contorted its body to avoid Blake's strike while simultaneously tying up her weapon with its claws. Showing remarkable flexibility, the shadow forced Gambol Shroud toward the floor and kicked Blake in the face.

Blake recoiled from the blow and almost fell over backwards. The shadow did not miss the chance to attack and immediately swiped its claws at her. Blake jumped back as best she could, but she was unable to prevent the claws from digging three parallel slices into her stomach. They were not life-threatening but they were incredibly painful. Still backing up, Blake swiped away with Gambol Shroud to keep the shadow back. Now looking very confident, the shadow approached. Blake backed up against the invisible wall. She could go no further. She slammed a fresh magazine into her gun and fired a few shots into the shadow. The shots pierced the shadow but the holes closed up immediately. The shadow reared back and stabbed forward with all its strength. Blake dove aside, leaving an icy double in her place. The shadow's claws stuck in the double. It struggled to free itself but to no avail. Blake thrust forward and stabbed her blade through the shadow's neck from the side, severing its head. As its head rolled about the floor, the shadow melted and evaporated away.

With a bright flash the invisible walls were gone. The hallways and stairs snapped back to their proper proportions, returning the school to its real-world layout. "Blake are you alright?" Weiss asked with alarm.

"I'm fine." Blake said. She ran her fingers across the wounds on her stomach and looked at the blood. "I could use some first aid though."

"I'm on it." Rise said. She and Blake became engulfed in light. When it faded, the bleeding had stopped but Blake's wounds still looked serious.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Weiss asked, examining the wounds carefully. "This is not time to act tough."

"I told you, I'm fine." Blake insisted. "I've had worse."

"So what was the deal with that stupid costume?" Yang asked.

"Well, without the hat and cape, that's our friend Teddie." Yosuke said. "He's a hard one to explain. Maybe one of you guys should handle it."

"I'll give it a try." Naoto said. "Teddie used to be a shadow but developed human emotions. He wanted people to like him, so he took on that cutesy form. He befriended each of us as we ventured into the shadow world. Eventually, he wanted to visit our world, so he grew a body."

"Grew a body?" Ruby asked.

"When we first met him he was just an empty costume." Yu explained. "He grew a human body so he could exist in our world."

"I still don't get it." Ruby sighed.

"Don't worry, we don't either." Rise assured her.

"What was all that general stuff about then?" Yang asked.

"It has to do with Labrys." Naoto said. "To keep a long story short, the entity that orchestrated the events surrounding Labrys and Sho Minazuki took that form. Why? We can't say."

"Hey guys, I found Labrys!" Rise announced. "She's on the roof. There's a shadow with her. We'd better hurry."

* * *

"So, what do ya' think we should talk about at the next Student Council meetin'?" Labrys asked. She sat on one of the ventilation ducts and looked up at the clear blue sky.

"I don't know, you're the president." Ohtoofor replied. "We can work on anything you want." Ohtoofor had the same long green hair as Labrys and shared her piercing red eyes.

"Maybe we should do somethin' for the festival." Labrys suggested. "I know each class is doin' somethin' on its own, but the student council could have its own setup."

"That sounds like a good idea, but it would be a lot of work." Ohtoofor said.

"I don't mind workin' hard for the betterment of the school." Labrys said. "I didn't run for president just to have the title."

"I know." Ohtoofor said. "That's what I like about you. You never take the easy way out. I just don't want you to get in over your head."

"You don't have to worry about me." Labrys said. "So, what are ya' doin' after school today?"

"I don't really have plans." Ohtoofor replied.

"Want to go somewhere then?" Labrys asked. "We could go shoppin' or somethin'."

"That sounds like fun." Ohtoofor said.

"Labrys!" Yu called as Teams RWBY and YYRN emerged onto the rooftop.

"What is it?" Labrys asked. "Does somethin' require my attention?"

"Who's that?" Yosuke asked, pointing to Labrys' companion.

"That's my sister Ohtoofor." Labrys replied.

"Ohtoofor?" Rise said.

"You mean Unit 024." Naoto said.

"What're ya' talkin' about?" Labrys asked. "She isn't Unit nothin'."

"I think she thinks she's human again." Yosuke said. "Labrys, don't you remember? You're a robot."

"Don't be silly." Labrys laughed. "Me, a robot. That's a good joke."

"It's the truth Labrys, and the sooner you remember the better." Naoto said. "This world isn't real. It's a dream. You're a robot. Unit 024 is dead. You were forced to kill her. You must remember."

"Robot…dead…forced to…" Labrys stammered. She grabbed the sides of her head and cried in pain. "No! I don't want to remember! No, that can't be real! This is real!"

"Hey, back off!" Unit 024 said, placing itself between Labrys and the group. "Why can't you just leave her along?"

"You know why, shadow." Rise said. "Just give her up."

"Never!" The shadow shouted. "She will remain here where she's happy!" The illusion of humanity that surrounded Unit 024 fell away, revealing a mechanical body. It pointed its oversized sword at the group. "I won't let you take her."

"Well guys, you know what to do." Yang said as she cracked her knuckles. "Let's take it down." Yang charged at the shadow, readying a powerful punch. Yang swung her fist but missed entirely as rocket boosters fired from the shadow's hands, feet and hips, lifting it into the air above Yang. It slammed the pommel of its sword down on the back of Yang's head and she fell flat on her face. The shadow swung its massive blade around at Yang, but Yang's Persona intervened to take the blow. The Persona faded and disappeared as Yang lay motionless on the ground.

Ruby summoned her Persona and used a blast of wind to push the shadow away from Yang. Propelled by backward shots from Crescent Rose, Ruby flew to Yang's rescue, scooping her up and carrying her away as the shadow tried in vain to stop her. The shadow identified the source of the problem and used its rocket boosters to fly at Ruby's Persona. The attack was too quick to dodge and the shadow grabbed Summer and hurled it toward the ground. The Persona slammed into the rooftop and the shadow followed it, pinning it down with its blade. Ruby's Persona faded and disappeared as she fell unconscious.

Yosuke summoned his Persona but as soon as he did the shadow cut it to ribbons, knocking him out as well. The shadow was just too fast. Naoto's Persona, however, was very quick as well. It clashed swords with the shadow briefly before being pushed back. It dodged a vertical slash from the shadow and zipped around to the shadow's flank. The Persona slashed at the shadow's head but its saber bounced off without doing any damage. The shadow whipped around and caught the Persona with its sword's guard. Naoto's Persona sailed into the fence that surrounded the roof as the wielder fell to the ground in pain.

Weiss engaged the shadow. Their swords met in a shower of sparks. The shadow was strong and fast but Weiss' skill was enough to keep the blade away. Weiss stabbed for the shadow and Myrtenaster found its mark in the center of the shadow's chest. With a sudden jolt the blade stopped, unable to penetrate the shadow. The shadow knocked Myrtenaster away then knocked out Weiss with one punch to the jaw. Blake slid in, using Gambol Shroud to knock the shadow's blade aside just before it could slice into the helpless Weiss. The shadow wasted no time, kicking Blake in the stomach. Her wounds opened up in a fresh spurt of blood as Blake screamed in agony. She fell to the ground beside Weiss.

Yu's Persona shoulder-blocked the shadow, knocking both to the ground. The sudden attack had caught the shadow off guard and Izanagi-no-Okami made the most of the opportunity. It got to its feet first and thrust its blade into the shadow. The blade completely penetrated the shadow and emerged from its back. The shadow ignored the damage, swung its own blade around and smashed it blunt-side first into the Persona's head. Izanagi-no-Okami began to fade as Yu dropped to a knee in pain.

"It's too strong." Yu grunted.

"We need to retreat." Naoto agreed.

"There's no way out." Rise informed them. "We're trapped."

A mad cackle rose from the rooftop. The shadow and the conscious Persona-users turned to identify the source. Labrys stood, her human guise gone, replaced by her normal mechanical appearance. She held her axe at the ready. The madness in her eyes was not a good sign. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Labrys said. Her voice was all wrong.

"You wouldn't kill me." The shadow said. "Not again. You couldn't."

"Part of me wouldn't." Labrys said. "That part of me is not around."

"Oh no, her shadow's in control!" Rise warned.

"What?!" Blake demanded.

"Labrys accepted her shadow and attained a Persona, but her shadow didn't go away like it did with us." Yu explained. "It became part of her programming in order to survive."

"When she's stressed it can take over." Naoto said.

"Bring it on." The shadow said.

Labrys laughed menacingly and charged at the shadow. With a swing of her axe, Labrys knocked the sword out of the shadow's hand as the shadow looked on in horror. In a fluid motion she swung her axe around again, this time slicing the shadow in half vertically. The shadow's halves collapsed. As they melted and evaporated away, Labrys continued hacking at the corpse. "The result will always be the same!" Labrys screamed. "I'll kill you as many times as it takes!"

"It's over." Yu said. He was hurting but tried to sound tough. "Let Labrys take control."

"Or what?" Labrys asked. "You can't hurt me without hurting her."

"Why did you even help us if you want to oppose us?" Naoto asked.

"I wasn't helping you fools." Labrys hissed. "I was helping me. Being trapped in this stupid dream world where everything is perfect is sickening! There's no conflict, no pain! The boredom is unbearable. I'm going insane in here and she's too dumb to realize the truth. Now we can finally go home." With that Labrys dropped to the floor in a heap. Moments later she stirred and sat up looking dazed.

"Which Labrys are we talking to?" Rise asked.

"My shadow's gone." Labrys replied. "I'm…I don't want to go."

"Labrys, you have to." Naoto said. "Staying in this dream won't solve anything. It won't make you happy. Besides, think of how much it would hurt Aigis. She would be all alone again."

"Aigis…" Labrys trailed off. "I can't…I guess you're right. It just hurts so much."

"We know." Yu said. "But your friends are waiting to help you through it."

"Yeah, I bet they are." Labrys said, her mood lightening.

"We're sorry you had to go through all this." Rise said. "I can't imagine all how hard it must be."

"I'm sorry you had to come save me." Labrys said. "It looks like you guys took a beatin'." Ruby, Yang, Weiss and Yosuke were just regaining consciousness with a little help from Rise's healing abilities.

"No need to thank us." Yu said. "We're your friends. You can always count on us."

"I'm so glad I met you guys." Labrys said. "It's time to wake up." The world began to melt as the dream collapsed.


	34. Loss

Chapter 34

"Waters, what are you doing here?" Naoto asked. She and the others had emerged from the television to find Waters standing there. He looked on, appearing more curious than surprised.

"That's a hell of a trick." Waters said. "I just thought I'd come see for myself."

"Did you really need to?" Naoto asked. "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you." Waters replied. "But as a great man once said, trust but verify. Anyway, Ms. Kirijo was just filling me in on what's going on and telling me a bit about her organization."

"Yes, detective Waters volunteered his support." Mitsuru added. "He'll be keeping an eye out for shadow related activity in the area when we're not around."

"Hold on, could someone get this girl some medical attention." Waters said, pointing to Blake. Blood oozed from the gashes cut across her stomach. A doctor and a pair of nurses rushed over and began attending to the wounds. "This whole thing seems incredibly dangerous." Waters said as he gestured toward the television. "What are a bunch of kids doing putting themselves in harm's way like this? Even the Shadow Operatives are barely old enough to drink."

"The ability to effectively combat shadows is exceedingly rare." Mitsuru explained. "As for why such young individuals are the ones who have that ability, I can't say."

"Just be careful guys." Waters said. "Ms. Kirijo and I still have some business to discuss. I think one of the robots – I can't believe I'm saying this – I think one of the robots is awake now. I'd guess you'll want to talk to her."

A group of mechanics was hard at work on Labrys. She followed them with her eyes but did not move. "How are you doing?" Rise asked.

"I'm alright." Labrys said. "Right now they've got me immobilized so they can work on me."

"Isn't it scary?" Ruby asked. "The idea of not being able to move scares me."

"I'm used to it." Labrys said. "Is your friend, the one with the cat ears, goin' to be okay? She looked like she was hurt bad."

"Blake's tougher than she looks." Yang said. "She'll be fine."

"That's a relief." Labrys said. "I feel terrible that she got hurt tryin' to save me. I feel bad that you even had to put yourselves in danger like that."

"Anything for a friend." Yu said.

"Are you feeling well enough to answer some questions or should we come back later?" Weiss asked.

"I'm fine." Labrys said. "Go ahead and ask."

"Can you tell us anything about the person who did this to you?" Naoto asked.

"I can tell you it wasn't a person." Labrys replied. "He wasn't human, but he wasn't a shadow either. My sensors indicated some similarities with Sho Minazuki, but it wasn't him."

"Can you identify him?" Naoto asked.

"No, I'd never seen him before." Labrys said. "He did something to Aigis though. First she froze while he took down the others. Then when I tried to attack, Aigis stopped me. I think he was controlling her the way Sho tried to control me. Then the guy grabbed me and threw me across the room. He was way too strong to be human. He was on top of me before I could recover and that's all I remember. I wish I could tell you more."

"It's alright." Ruby said. "No one seems to have much information. We're just glad you're safe."

"I guess we'll have to ask Aigis." Yosuke said. "She seems to have had the most contact with the guy. Maybe she knows something the others don't."

"We'll rest up and rescue her tomorrow." Yu said.

"So what should we do now?" Rise asked.

"Hey guys, I'm ordering everyone dinner." Waters called from just behind them. "You should stick around."

"I guess that solves that." Yang said.

* * *

"I can't believe you entered them in a crossdressing pageant." Yang laughed. Over dinner Rise had kept her promise and told all.

"Remind me to never make you mad." Waters said.

"It wasn't my idea." Rise admitted. "I didn't really mind being entered in the girls' contest. I think Naoto was too embarrassed to be looking for revenge. Our other friends Yukiko and Chie, they were out for blood."

"Did one of them at least win?" Akihiko asked.

"Nope." Rise said. "Our friend Teddie won. He entered on his own too."

"Well did they look good?" Weiss asked.

"Yu looked alright but Yosuke was downright hideous." Rise laughed.

"Yeah, pile it on." Yosuke groaned. "Maybe if someone other than Chie did my makeup I wouldn't have looked so bad."

"I'm disappointed I didn't win." Yu said.

"I didn't think you cared." Naoto said.

"If I'm in a contest I want to win." Yu said.

"At least you're a good sport." Waters said. "In your place, I would have rather fled the country. Just getting up on that stage took courage. The same goes for you Shirogane."

"The less we talk about that the better." Naoto sighed.

"Come on Naoto, you won!" Rise exclaimed. "You should be proud. It's a great accomplishment! You beat me and it's my job to be pretty and popular."

"Can we please drop it?" Naoto pleaded.

"You guys had some pretty crazy adventures, huh?" Ruby said. "It's a shame I couldn't be there with you."

"Yeah, it wasn't all fun and games but we had a really good time." Yosuke said. "For a year there we were all inseparable, but now it seems like the only thing that brings us together is fighting shadows."

"It's just the way it is." Naoto said. "We've all got our own lives to live."

"I hope that never happens to us." Ruby said. "I don't think I could get along without my teammates."

"This conversation took a depressing turn." Blake observed.

"Look on the bright side." Mitsuru said. "Good times might not last forever, but at least you had them. Not everyone is so lucky. I wouldn't trade the year I spent fighting shadows with my friends for anything, even if there was pain and heartbreak."

"Speaking of that, Mitsuru, you probably know Aigis better than anyone." Naoto said. "What do you think we'll encounter in her dream world?"

"Aigis has never been particularly open with her feeling, at least as they pertain to the past." Mitsuru said. "She's been through as much pain as any of us. She's lost friends and her sister units, and the fact that she is not human must be difficult. That said, what constitutes a perfect world in her mind is beyond me."

* * *

"This is it, the last door." Yu said. He and the others stood before the door to Aigis' dream world. The word 'Loss' was carved into it.

"Let's end this." Blake said. She pushed the door open and stepped through.

Upon entering, the group ended up in the middle of a street. Darkness surrounded them in all directions but one. Before them stood a four story building. It was of an older style but was well-maintained. It looked a bit like a hotel, minus any signage. A small set of stairs led to a set of double wooden doors.

"Whatever this place is, Aigis is in there." Rise said. "She's not alone either. I know what Labrys was talking about now. The thing I'm sensing, it's not human and not a shadow. It's like a combination of the two but something entirely different too."

"Could it be our culprit?" Weiss asked. "Some of the others said they thought Aigis knew him or that he was familiar."

"I'd bet on it." Rise confirmed. "Let's go."

Inside the building the appearance of a hotel persisted. To the left of the door was what looked like a reception desk. There was a lounge to the right and a bar or kitchen further back. Ornate woodwork lined the walls. Straight ahead was a grand staircase. The furniture was a bit of an anomaly with its modern pieces, but the rest of the décor matched the idea of an old, high-class hotel.

"What is this place?" Yang asked.

"I have no idea." Naoto replied.

A dog's barking drew the group's attention to the stairs. An albino shiba bounded down the stairs and headed for the group. "That looks like the Shadow Operatives' dog." Yosuke said. "You know, the one that can use a Persona. What's his name?"

"Koromaru." Naoto answered.

"He's cute." Ruby said.

"Can I pet him?" Weiss asked.

"You won't want to." Rise warned. "That's a shadow."

The dog growled and took up an aggressive posture. It was engulfed in black sludge. The dog transformed into a black and silver three-headed beast with tridents for legs. It was about five feet tall and considerably longer. The shadow let out a roar and fire spewed from its mouths. Before the flames even abated Yang attacked. She charged through the flames, punched one of the shadow's heads as it tried to bite her, then grabbed the other two and slammed them together. The shadow lunged forward with its lethal legs and Yang dove aside. The shadow backed off and roared. A black circle appeared below Yang. It collapsed in on itself, and Yang fell unconscious.

"It's using darkness!" Rise shouted. "Be careful."

Ruby summoned her Persona and rushed at the shadow. Yosuke joined her with his own Persona. The shadow retaliated by unleashing more fire. Their Personas blew the fire back into the shadow's face with wind, allowing them to get in close. Yosuke went for a stab with his kunai but the shadow caught the blade in his teeth. He tried his other but the attack was stopped by another head. Ruby attempted an upward cut with Crescent Rose, but the shadow deflected it with a leg and Ruby's momentum carried her into the air. The shadow wrenched Yosuke aside then blasted fire at Ruby while she was still in the air. Her Persona appeared before her and took the blast in her place, but by the time she landed Ruby was too weak to fight. The shadow focused on Yosuke, biting at him while repeatedly stabbing with its legs. One of the shadow's legs speared him through the arm, tearing his flesh further as it ripped the trident out. Bleeding badly he retreated.

Naoto's Persona had little to fear from the shadow's attacks. It swept in, slashing away at the shadow to little avail. It did give Weiss the opportunity to launch her own assault. She summoned her Persona and attacked. Ananke charged at the shadow, ducking behind its shield. Its attention split between the two Personas, the shadow was unable to effectively defend as Ananke crashed into it, drove it across the room and pinned it to the wall. The shadow lashed out with legs and teeth as is struggled to get free. Ananke drew back its blade and thrust it at the shadow. The point of the sword made contact with the shadow's midsection but the fiery blade would not penetrate. The shadow squirmed free, dove between Ananke's legs, and dove atop the Persona from behind. Ananke crashed into the wall before the shadow dragged it to the ground. Naoto's Persona slashed at the shadow in vain as it tore into Ananke. Weiss fell unconscious. The shadow turned and caught Naoto's Persona in its teeth. Rather than be knocked out Naoto withdrew her Persona.

Yu's Persona arrived before the shadow realized what was happening and succeeded in knocking the shadow off its feet. Izanagi-no-Okami stabbed its blade down into the shadow, pinning it to the floor. Still it writhed and struggled to get free, spewing fire in all directions. Even repeated jolts of electricity conducted through the blade failed to stop it. "I can't keep this up much longer!" Yu warned. A black circled formed under his Persona. The circle collapsed but nothing happened. The darkness may not have had an effect but the shadow's fire was whittling away at the strength of both Persona and user.

Blake summoned her Persona. Diana held a black arrow in its hand and shattered it. A black circle appeared below both Yu's Persona and the shadow. The circle collapsed in on itself but failed to take out the shadow. Diana now held a white, glowing arrow in its hand. It crushed the arrow and a brilliant square formed below the combatants. It collapsed in on itself, and both shadow and Persona vanished in a flash of light. Yu fell unconscious.

"I'm sorry!" Blake yelled as she rushed over to Yu. He was already attended by Rise who was using what healing skills she had on him. His eyes slowly opened. He was clearly dazed but would be alright. Rise moved on to help Weiss, Yang and Yosuke. "I'm sorry, I couldn't attack the shadow without hitting your Persona." Blake said.

"Don't worry about it." Yu said. "You did the right thing." He struggled to sit upright. "I can take it, the shadow couldn't."

"I think I'm going to need stitches." Yosuke said. "His arm had been bleeding profusely but Rise's intervention stemmed most of the bleeding. "It hurts like hell to move my fingers too."

"Leave close combat to the professionals next time." Yang said, having recently regained consciousness. She stood up, far too fast, and promptly fell to her hands and knees. "Well maybe I'm not one to talk right now." Ruby helped Yang to her feet.

"I'm quite concerned." Naoto said.

"What about?" Ruby asked.

"That shadow took on the appearance and attributes of Koromaru's Persona." Naoto replied. "If future shadows mirror Shadow Operatives or their Personas, we'll be in for incredibly difficult fights. They're all incredibly powerful to begin with, and this shadow was far more powerful than the original it copied."

"I'm getting a better read on Aigis' location." Rise reported. "She's on the second floor."

* * *

The group ascended the stairs to the second floor. There was a small lounge-like area with a table, a few chairs and a vending machine. Beyond was a hallway lined with doors and ending at a large window. "So Aigis is in one of the rooms?" Ruby asked. "Which one?"

"I can't tell." Rise replied as she scanned with her Persona. "I'm still getting interference. Wait. What's that?" One of the doors opened and out stepped a small blue-eyed boy wearing black and white striped pajamas. He stared blankly at the group. "I think it's a shadow, but I'm not sure."

The boy smiled and was engulfed in black liquid. It formed into a visage of the Grim Reaper. The figure, surrounded by a black cloak, its face hidden in shadow, wielded a scythe. Before the group could react the shadow flew at them, trailing its scythe behind it. The others dove for cover as Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose and slashed at the shadow. She missed but hooked its scythe with hers. The shadow's momentum carried them both through the railing that surrounded the staircase. They plunged down the center to the first floor.

Yang peered over the edge. Ruby was bracing herself against the wall to assist in getting to her feet. The shadow was nowhere to be seen. "We need to go and help her!" Yang shouted. She jumped down but landed on an invisible floor several meters above Ruby. The barrier extended from wall to wall, blocking off access. "Damn it!" Yang pounded the barrier. It gave off a bright flash on impact but remained in place.

Below, Ruby dive-rolled forward, slipping under a swipe from the shadow's scythe. She used Crescent Rose in an attempt to hook the shadow's legs, but it had none, instead floating with its tattered cloak just above the floor. The shadow snap turned and slammed its scythe down as Ruby disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. She had her semblance back but her Persona was gone. Ruby made a tactical error by working herself into a corner. The shadow pressed closer, effectively cutting off her escape. Ruby converted Crescent Rose into its gun form and lined up a shot. She fired, hitting the shadow directly in the hole where its face should be. The shadow stumbled and backed up a few steps. Ruby fired again, hitting the same spot. This time the shadow used one of its arms to cover the hole and prevent further shots. It also limited its vision. Ruby rushed forward and jumped. She fired Crescent Rose at an angle to send herself into a rapid front flip and slammed the weapon down on the top of the shadow's head.

The shadow slammed face first into the ground. Ruby pressed the muzzle of her gun to the back of what should have been the shadow's head and fired. The round failed to penetrate and only succeeded in blasting her back. The shadow sprung up and swung its scythe around, taking out Ruby's legs. She slammed down on her side. The shadow slammed its blade down at Ruby but she rolled out of the way. She tried to spring to her feet but was yanked back down, her hood caught by the shadow's weapon.

A skeletal hand emerged from beneath the shadow's cloak and grabbed Ruby by the throat. It squeezed tighter, cutting off her breathing and blood to her brain. Ruby's vision began to narrow and lost all color as she struggled against the shadow's ever tightening grip. In desperation she pressed Crescent Rose's barrel against the shadow's wrist and fired. The shadow's wrist exploded in a shower of bone fragments and pieces of the bullet. The shrapnel cut deeply into Ruby's face but the shadow's grip was released. Its severed hand fell to the ground, melted and evaporated away as the shadow recoiled. Ruby gasped for air. Blood streamed down her face, dripping off onto her clothes and the floor. Her left eyebrow was sliced open and blood flooded into her eye, rendering it useless.

The shadow recovered and swung its scythe in a long arc. Ruby disappeared in a blur. The shadow looked around but Ruby was nowhere to be seen. A few drips of something landed on top of the shadow's head. The shadow looked up just in time to see Ruby hurtling toward it from the ceiling, Crescent Rose held over her head. She brought the blade down with all her strength and sliced the shadow in half from top to bottom. The halves fell to the ground, melted and evaporated away.

The invisible barrier ceased to exist and the others rushed down the stairs. Ruby, her face covered in blood, stood using her weapon like a cane to support herself. "Ruby, are you okay?!" Yang shouted, rushing to her sister. Ruby wobbled and fell just as Yang slid in to catch her.


	35. Master of Dreams

Chapter 35

Yang laid Ruby flat on the ground with her head propped up on Yang's leg. Ruby raised her arm and wiped the blood out of her eye. "I beat it." Ruby said.

"You sure did." Yang said. "What did it do to you?"

"I did this." Ruby replied. She gestured toward Crescent Rose. "I had to."

Rise scanned Ruby as Yang wiped away the blood. It was soon replaced by fresh blood as the wounds continued to bleed. "She's got a lot of metal in her face." Rise reported. "I think she's going to need a doctor."

"So we retreat and get her to a doctor now." Yang said.

"There's no exit." Rise said. "The only way out is to end the dream."

"My neck hurts." Ruby said. Rise used her healing abilities on Ruby. "That's a little better." Still she continued to bleed, though the volume decreased.

"Look, the sooner we rescue Aigis, the sooner we can get Ruby to a doctor." Naoto said, placing her hand on Yang's shoulder. "Let's finish this."

"I'll stay here with her." Yang volunteered.

"That's not a good idea." Yu said. "We need everyone to fight the last shadow."

"He's right, we can't risk splitting our forces." Blake said. "Besides, you would be dangerously vulnerable. We can all fight the shadow and protect her together if you bring her with us."

"Ruby, are you okay to move?" Yang asked.

"Yeah." Ruby replied. "I'm just really tired."

"Alright then, let's go." Yang said. She pulled Ruby across her shoulder to carry her. Weiss picked up Crescent Rose and Rise agreed to carry it for her.

The depleted group headed up the stairs to rescue Aigis. "She's in the last room on the right." Rise reported.

* * *

Aigis sat beside Makoto on the edge of his bed. "It still feels weird being in here." Aigis said. She was nervous and knew she was no good at hiding it.

"What's the big deal?" Makoto asked. "It's just my room."

"Yes, but it is _your_ room." Aigis replied.

"We've been dating for months." Makoto said. "You've been in here dozens of times."

"For some reason it still makes me anxious." Aigis said. She looked down at her feet. "I guess I am weird."

"You sure are." Makoto said. For a moment a look of shock and dismay flashed across Aigis' face. "But if you weren't, you just wouldn't be you."

"But why do you like me?" Aigis asked. "There are prettier girls, girls who are not weird, and so many who are better than me."

"Don't say that." Makoto admonished her. "There's no one better than you. I don't care how pretty a girl may be, I don't think anyone looks as good as you. And so what if you're quirky. It's better than being boring and normal. You're also the kindest person I know. How could I not like you? How could I not _love_ you?"

"I am sorry." Aigis said. "I am just being insecure. It must be so troublesome to deal with me when I'm like this. I just…"

Makoto lifted Aigis' chin and turned her head to face him. "Stop." He said. "I love you." He started to lean in to kiss her.

There was a loud pounding on the door. "Open up!" Yosuke demanded. He pounded again.

"Yang do it." Rise said. Yang, with Ruby still draped across her shoulder, kicked the door open. The flimsy wood splintered before her kick.

Aigis and Makoto stared at the intruders in stunned silence. "Aigis, we're here to rescue you." Yu said. He looked at Makoto. There was something strange about him but Yu could not place it.

"What is going on?" Aigis asked. "What are you doing?"

"Aigis, this world is a dream." Weiss said. "None of this is real. You need to wake up."

"I…I don't understand." Aigis stammered. "Who are you people?"

"Don't you remember us?" Yosuke asked. "We fought together in Inaba to save your sister Labrys."

"I do not have any siblings." Aigis said. "I have never heard of Inaba and I have certainly never been in a fight."

"Who's the guy?" Blake asked.

"Makoto." Aigis replied. "What is the meaning of all this?"

"Makoto Yuki?" Naoto asked. Aigis nodded. "Of course. It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Aigis asked.

"That's not the real Makoto." Naoto said. "The real Makoto sacrificed his life to save the world in an incident several years ago. This is an imposter."

"That is insane!" Aigis shouted. "Everything you have done and said here is insane!"

"Aigis, you have to remember." Naoto said. "Don't you remember SEES, Nyx, the Shadow Operatives?

"Nyx…" Aigis trailed off. She grabbed both sides of her head in pain. She recoiled, finding mechanical attachments there instead of ears. "What is this?!"

"You're not human." Yu said. "You're a robot built to fight shadows."

"No, I'm human, Makoto's alive, and this is not a dream!" Aigis declared. "All the proof I need is right here beside me."

"That's not Makoto." Rise said. "That's a shadow."

"You underestimate me." Makoto said in someone else's voice. The voice was deep, distorted and for some reason unsettling. "I am no mere shadow." Aigis fell to the floor and clawed her way back to the wall in terror. Her mind was at war against itself, one side clinging to the dream, the other struggling in favor of the truth. It was all too much.

Blake raised Gambol Shroud and pointed it at Makoto's head. "Who are you?" She asked. "Eris?"

"Eris, no." Makoto replied. "My sister has no role in this, though it is interesting that I find myself at odds with those that foiled her plans."

"Eris is your sister?" Rise said. "Does that make you a god too?"

"Eris is my sister in the sense that we were born of the same mother." Makoto replied. "If you wish to call me a god, I will not deny it. I am above your mortal realm."

"So who are you and what do you want?!" Blake demanded. She took a step forward. "I don't care what you are. Answer the questions or I'll blow your brains out!"

"You can certainly try." Makoto laughed. "I will answer your questions. I am Hypnos. I want people to be happy. These poor souls, the ones you refer to as the Shadow Operatives, have seen such misery. Their connection to this world has allowed me to bring them happiness. You destroyed that happiness by dragging them back to their wretched reality."

"Why take on that form?" Naoto asked.

"It made my work easier." Hypnos answered. "Though my power is great in this world, my abilities in your world are limited. I am more than a match for any one of them. I could likely deal with all of them assuming fortune ruled in my favor. Still, such an outcome would be uncertain. This body, however, this body made them hesitate. It made them question themselves. That small advantage was more than enough."

"So why only inhabit Aigis' dream?" Yosuke asked. "It would have been easier for you to stop us if you confronted us at every turn."

"That is true, but the strongest mind requires the strongest restraint." Hypnos said. "Aigis, the one who inherited the power of this body, is far more capable of resistance than the others. Only my presence could keep the dream together."

"So we defeat you, the dream collapses and we all go home?" Yang asked. "Good, let's end this."

"Fools." Hypnos said. His expression was one of disappointment. His eyes glowed red as he stretched out his arm toward Teams RWBY and YYRN. They fell limp all at once and dropped to the ground. "As predicted."

"What did you do?!" Aigis cried.

"I gave them the happiness I have given you." Hypnos said.

"I don't want it!" Aigis shouted. "I want to go back to the real world! Now that I know the truth I can't stay here."

"Every mind, even a synthetic mind such as yours, has incredible capacity for self-deception." Hypnos said. "In time you will forget the truth and return to your happiness as you did when you arrived."

"I'll destroy you!" Aigis screamed. "Athena!" Nothing happened.

"Your powers are of no use." Hypnos said.

"But mine are." A voice said from the doorway. Hypnos and Aigis turned to see another Makoto standing there. "Messiah." Behind Makoto a great robotic angel appeared. It was all white, had his appearance and had metal wings. A ball of energy appeared before the Persona shining with blinding light. Makoto thrust his hand forward and the ball rocketed into Hypnos.

"How very disappointing." Hypnos said as he slowly disintegrated. When the light faded there was nothing of him left.

Alone with this new Makoto, Aigis sat on the floor awestruck. "Is it really you?" She asked, her voice trembling. Makoto just smiled. Along with the rest of the world he melted away as the dream collapsed.

* * *

Aigis' eyes suddenly snapped open and darted back and forth. "She's awake!" One of the mechanics reported.

"Let me move!" Aigis demanded. "They need my help!" She was still immobilized so the mechanics could make repairs.

"Who does?" Kikuno asked.

"Yu and his friends." Aigis replied. "They are still in there. We need to rescue them. Hypnos did to them what he did to me!"

"Who's Hypnos?" Kikuno asked.

"The culprit." Aigis replied. "Allow me to move now!"

"You're too badly damaged." Kikuno said. "If you move you'll make the damage worse."

"I don't care, they need help." Aigis said.

"Let me go instead." Labrys offered. "My damage isn't as severe."

"No, you're in no condition to fight." Kikuno said.

"We don't need to fight." Aigis said. "We just need to recover their physical forms for now."

Kikuno waved one of the engineers over. "Is it safe for Labrys to do some light lifting?" Kikuno asked. "Maybe two hundred pounds at most."

"I'd say she's clear to about three hundred, but the less the better." The mechanic replied.

"Deactivate the immobilizers and let her go then." Kikuno said. "Labrys, just carry them out here. If you encounter any enemies, retreat immediately."

"I will." Labrys promised. The mechanics freed her from her paralysis and she rushed into the television.

* * *

"So, how are things going at Beacon?" Yang's mother asked via scroll.

"It's alright." Yang replied. "I'm on a team with two other girls. Our leader is a Schnee."

"A Schnee, really?" Her mother said. "That's good, there are certain advantages to be gained from such an association."

"Isn't it weird that we only have three people?" Yang asked. "All the other teams have four."

"I'm sure Ozpin did that for a reason." Yang's mother assured her. "How are you getting along with your teammates?"

"It's okay I guess." Yang answered. "Weiss, that's the Schnee, is a little arrogant but she's not too bad. My other teammate Blake is really quiet. It's not all fun and games but we get along I guess."

"Alright, your father and I have some business to attend to so I have to go." Yang's mother said. "I love you."

"I love you too mom." Yang said. "Talk to you soon."

"So the whole three person team thing is bugging you too?" Weiss asked. "I'm really happy to be team leader but it feels weird."

"The room even has four beds." Blake said. "It does feel like someone's missing."

"Blake, while I have the chance, I wanted to apologize." Weiss said.

"For what?" Blake asked.

"For the way they treated the Faunus in the past." Weiss replied. "It was terrible."

"That was decades ago." Blake said. "All is forgiven as far as I'm concerned. We have equal rights and equal treatment, so why dwell on the past."

"I just don't want you to hold it against me." Weiss said.

"Why would I?" Blake asked. "You had nothing to do with all that. Now, if you turn out to be a lousy leader, I will hold that against you."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." Weiss laughed. "Hey Yang, what's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"Well, you've been staring off into space." Weiss said. "It looks like you've got something on your mind."

"I'm still on the three person team thing." Yang explained. "I can't put it into words, but I just feel like something's missing. Something isn't quite right."

"I know what you mean." Blake said. "I feel it too. Something just feels…off."

"It's probably just our imaginations." Weiss said. "It's late. We should get some sleep." She slipped her books off the desk and into her backpack, got up from the chair and headed for her bed. Her foot hooked on her backpack's strap and she began to fall, stumbling in a desperate attempt to stay on her feet. She lost the battle and fell into the red curtains that covered the window. Grabbing them, she pulled them down and they wrapped around her like a cloak. The curtains still draped over her, she stood. "I'm okay." Weiss said. "That was embarrassing." Blake and Yang stared at her, eyes wide. "What, am I bleeding or something?"

"A red cloak…" Blake trailed off.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed. "That's what's missing, Ruby!"

"How did we forget Ruby?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, wasn't she the team leader?" Blake asked.

"And she's my sister…by a different mother." Yang said.

"I remember now." Blake said. "Hypnos, he must have put us in a dream."

"But where's Ruby?" Yang asked.

"We can figure that out later." Weiss said. "Now it's time to wake up." The world melted around them as the dream collapsed.

* * *

Rise's day of shooting had gone badly. It was not her fault. She was on point. The other actors were having difficulty and it made the whole thing take forever. She was glad when mercifully, the director decided to end for the day in the hopes that things would go more smoothly tomorrow. Still, Rise had a lot to be happy about. She was Japan's most popular idol, maybe its most popular celebrity. She was everywhere. She was on numerous television programs, and endless list of movies, performed frequent concerts, and it was hard to turn around in a public place without seeing one of her ads. There was not even any serious competition to her media dominance.

"Rise, do you have a moment?" Inoue, her manager asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Rise asked. She was exhausted but if Inoue thought it was important, it probably was. The look on his face made her think it was _very_ important.

"I just got an offer." Inoue said. "I think this could be huge for you."

"What is it?" Rise asked.

"I got a call from Hollywood." Inoue replied, barely containing his excitement. "You've been offered the starring role in a major film! This could be the break you needed to really hit the international stage."

"I don't know." Rise said. "My English isn't very good."

"That's alright, your part is almost all in Japanese." Inoue said. "So, what should I tell them?"

"What's the catch?" Rise asked. "There has to be a catch."

"Not really." Inoue said. "You have to move to spend a few months in the United States, but that's about it. I know it can be hard to be away from your friends and family for so long, but I know you can handle it too."

"Let me make one phone call." Rise said. She whipped out her phone and called someone she had on speed dial. "Hi! I just wanted to ask you something." There was a brief pause as the other person spoke. "I was offered a movie deal but I'd have to leave the country for a few months. What do you think I should do?" There was a longer pause this time. "You're the best. I'll talk to you later." She was about to hang up but the person on the other end said something. "Teddie? No, I don't remember how we met. Why?" There was a pause. "That is weird, I'll call you back if I remember. See ya'."

"Who was that?" Inoue asked.

"My boyfriend." Rise replied.

"What did he say?" Inoue asked.

"He said I should follow my dreams!" Rise said. "Tell them I'll take the part."

Inoue immediately pulled out his phone and made the call as Rise headed for her dressing room. She wanted to rest but she could not stop thinking about what Yu had asked her. She could not remember how they had met Teddie. It was strange. Come to think of it, she could not remember how she had met Yu. It was in Inaba, but why was she in Inaba? She must have been visiting her grandmother, but she would not have been able to meet anyone with the fans swarming all over the place. But what if there were no fans? But why would there not be fans? For some reason the idea that she had taken a hiatus of some sort popped into her mind. But she had been acting non-stop since she started. Right? No, she did take a hiatus, but that was impossible. Unless…

Inoue knocked on the door that stepped in. "The arrangements are all set." He said. "Once this production wraps we'll head off to California."

"Inoue, who's the second most popular idol in Japan?" Rise asked.

"Why does it matter?" Inoue countered.

"Indulge me." Rise said.

"Uh, I don't know." Inoue said. "There really isn't a clear number two."

"What about Kanamin?" Rise asked.

"I've never heard of her." Inoue replied.

"But you're her manager." Rise pressed. "I'm sure of it."

"Are you feeling alright?" Inoue asked. "Maybe you need some rest."

"This world isn't real." Rise concluded. "In the real world I took a hiatus and it set my career back. Kanamin took my place. I'm not the most popular idol in Japan, she is, but I don't really care as long as I'm having fun. I want to wake up." With that the world melted away as the dream collapsed.


	36. Wake-Up Call

***Some business before we start:**

 **-I'm shipping pretty hard in this one. I hope that doesn't bother you. I just couldn't resist putting on my captain's hat.**

 **-This is the Volume 2 finale. There will be a Volume 3 but...**

 **-This bit is personal. If you don't care, go ahead and skip it. Anyway... I started writing FanFiction in January as a way to keep writing while I took a break from writing my novel. I was burned out but I didn't want to waste my momentum. Somehow, that little diversion ended up taking over for almost nine months. I never thought I would have so much fun here. Unfortunately, it hasn't always been fun. Aside from dealing with some people who have made this difficult, the fact that I set myself a tight schedule for releasing chapters made writing occasionally nerve-wracking. Now I'm burned out here. I'll be back but I'm taking some time off to work on my novel. It might be months or I might be back in two weeks. Who knows? I don't. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my little stories and particularly those who reviewed them. Watching the readership numbers go up and reading your kind words means a lot. I hope you enjoyed the adventure as much as I did. See you later...**

* * *

Chapter 36

Yosuke got out of bed and immediately took a shower. He had a busy day ahead and there was no time to waste. He opened the refrigerator in hopes of finding something for breakfast. He found some leftover fried rice and decided it would do. He ate as he walked to Junes. He was finally the manager and he had to get there early. No matter how well he planned the day, Junes was always a place of chaos. There was always something that needed his attention but luckily he was good at thinking on his feet. The hours flew by as he handled one crisis after another until it was time for lunch. He could look forward to that one hour every day when he did not have to be on his toes. Still, he did not have the energy to go far. He grabbed something from the food court and took it to his office, locking the door behind him.

He had a personal matter to attend to. He picked up the phone and called Yu. After a few rings he answered, slower than usual. "Hey partner, sorry Saki and I couldn't make it to dinner last night." Yosuke said. "I got stuck at work. I really wish we could have made it to see everyone." Yu gave a reassuring reply. "Next time I guess. I should go, I'm on my lunch break." He was about to hang up when he remembered something. "Oh yeah, Teddie says hi." Yu said a few words on the subject. "He can be a little annoying but he's been a great guy from day one. Wait a minute. How did we even meet him?" Yu could not answer that. "I'm sure it'll come to me, but now it's bugging me. Great, it'll be all I can think of all day." Yu suggested he ask Teddie. "I don't want to offend the guy. He is kind of emotional." Yu promised to get back to him if he remembered. "Oh well, talk to you later I guess." Yosuke hung up.

Yosuke was unable to eat his lunch. He was hungry and knew the food was delicious, but he could not think about anything other than how he had met Teddie. How could he not remember how he met such a close friend and coworker? Was it at work? No, but Junes had something to do with it. He seemed to have flashes of memory but then they were gone. Maybe Saki would know. She would be working at her family's liquor store, but she should be able to talk for a bit, particularly since he was technically her boss. It had been Yosuke's idea. Konishi Liquors became the official liquor distributor for the Inaba Junes. Junes got a cut of the profits and Konishi Liquors got more business than ever before. Everybody was a winner.

"Oh hey, what's up?" Saki answered the phone.

"Do you have a minute?" Yosuke asked.

"Sure." Saki replied.

"Do you remember how we met Teddie?" Yosuke asked. "I was talking to Yu about it and it's been bugging me ever since."

"I don't know." Saki said. "I don't know him that well. I think you met him around the time we started dating."

"Sorry for bothering you." Yosuke said. "I'm sure you're busy so I'll let you get back to work."

"Okay, see you at home." Saki said just before hanging up.

Yosuke's concerns only grew. How did no one know the answer? He was part of the team! Wait, what team? Why were they a team? He could remember how he met Yu, Yukiko and Chie, but he drew a blank on the others. Now he was getting really worried. Was he losing his mind? They all worked together on something. Yeah, that had to be it. Was it a school thing? No, Teddie didn't even go to Yasogami. Wait, did Teddie even go to any school? That really did not make sense. Where was Teddie even from? It was like he was…

"Teddie's not human." Yosuke said to himself. "He's a…shadow. We met him in the TV world when Yu and I were investigating…Saki's murder." Yosuke buried his face in his hands and started to cry. "Oh shit. Saki's dead. She didn't even like me. This world isn't real. It must be a dream. I guess it's time to wake up." The world around him melted as the dream collapsed.

* * *

Yu woke up and was immediately confused. Why was he in a bed? He usually slept on a futon right? He looked to his right. The clock read 11:37. Surely that was late? He became aware that he was entirely naked beneath the covers. He usually wore pajamas to sleep. Then the blankets moved, but it was not him. He looked to his left. There was someone in the bed with him. In a moment of panic he flopped out of the bed and onto the floor, landing on an assortment of his clothes.

"What was that?" Naoto said as she woke up. She experienced a similar moment of confusion and panic and gripped the blanket tightly over herself. "What's going on?!" The panic faded a bit. "Yu, are you alright over there?"

"I'm fine." Yu said, still face down on the floor. "I just panicked when I woke up for some reason."

"Me too." Naoto said. "What the hell is wrong with us?"

"I don't know." Yu said as he stood.

Naoto averted her eyes. "Why don't you put some clothes on?" She suggested.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before." Yu said.

"Just do it." Naoto said.

"Alright." Yu slipped on his underwear. "I could say the same to you."

"I'm not the one standing stark naked." Naoto said. "So, why did you freak out?"

"I don't know." Yu said. "I was really confused, then I saw you there and panicked."

"I woke up entirely confused as well." Naoto said. "We've been together long enough that this shouldn't happen. What's our problem?"

"I was also a bit concerned that we slept almost until noon, but then I realized we're off today." Yu said. "Thankfully we're no working a case right now."

"Is it that late?!" Naoto asked.

"Yeah, so?" Yu asked.

"We're supposed to meet my parents for lunch at 1." Naoto replied.

"I guess we'll just have to hurry." Yu said. The phone rang and Yu hesitated, unsure if he should answer or start getting ready to go out.

"Just answer it." Naoto said. "I'll shower first."

Yu nodded and picked up the phone. It was Yosuke. "It happens." He said. "No problem." He waited for Yosuke to speak. "We'll just have to do it again soon." Yu was about to hang up when Yosuke said something about Teddie. "How are you two getting along?" Yosuke said something that completely threw Yu off. "I have no idea how we met him. I'm drawing a blank here." Yosuke seemed concerned about their collective lapse in memory. "Just ask Teddie." Yosuke refused because it might offend Teddie. "I'll call you back if I remember anything." Yosuke said a few parting words and hung up.

Yu sat down on the edge of the bed and thought about it. Added to the confusion he had experienced upon waking up, Yu was now very concerned about his mental state. His memory seemed to be failing him badly. He started to work through it in his head. He could remember almost every interaction he had ever had with Teddie, but not how they had met. He was suddenly interrupted as the phone rang again.

This time it was Rise. She wanted to ask Yu something. "Sure go ahead." He said and waited for her question. Apparently she had been offered a movie deal in the United States. It would be huge for her career but she was concerned. "Do whatever you think is best. Follow your dreams. If it makes you happy, I support you 100%." She thanked him and was about to hang up. "Hold on a second. Do you remember how we met Teddie?" She did not. "Yosuke asked me and neither of us could remember. It's weird. Thanks anyway, I'll let you go." She said goodbye and hung up.

Now Yu was very worried. No one seemed to know about Teddie. It was so strange. Naoto finished her shower. Walking out she noticed Yu's distress. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Do you remember how we met Teddie?" Yu asked.

"I don't, why?" Naoto replied after a few moments.

"First Yosuke called and brought it up." Yu said. "He couldn't remember. Then Rise called and I asked her, and she couldn't remember. I can't remember and now you can't remember. Don't you think that's a little strange?"

"We can't remember everything." Naoto said.

"Maybe I can't but you can." Yu said. "It's pretty much your job. Surely something as important as the first time we met one of our friends would be easy to remember."

"You make a good point." Naoto said. She sat down beside Yu. "Let's work this out. You've known Teddie longer than I have. What's the first memory you have of him?"

"I remember talking to him in Junes." Yu answered. "He was wearing his bear suit."

"That's the same for me." Naoto said. "Maybe we met him there?"

"No, I knew him before he worked there." Yu said. "He's part of our group! We're such close friends, but I can't for the life of me remember how I met him."

"Do you remember how we met?" Naoto asked.

"Sure, you were investigating a case." Yu said. "I was…involved somehow. Wait a minute…what was the case?"

"It was…in Inaba." Naoto was perplexed. "I can't remember either."

"I remember our relationship started when I helped you uncover the Phantom Thief." Yu said. "It turned out your grandfather set it up because he wanted you to remember why you wanted to be a detective."

"I remember that." Naoto said. "Wait, why would my grandfather be the one who set that up? Why not my parents?"

"You were living in his mansion at the time." Yu said.

"That doesn't answer the question." Naoto said. "I remember I was feeling lonely and sad."

"You didn't really have friends before we met." Yu added.

"I also…missed my parents." Naoto suddenly remembered.

"Why would you miss them?" Yu asked. "It's not like…I remember now. They died."

"But we're having lunch with them in an hour." Naoto said with alarm. "This doesn't make any sense."

"It's coming back to me." Yu said. "We were investigating kidnappings and murders while fighting shadows. Teddie's a shadow. Wait, we didn't just stop fighting shadows after that case either, did we?"

"No, we even went to a parallel universe to do it." Naoto said. "Then Team RWBY came from there to help us…"

"Fight Hypnos." Yu finished for her. "He must have trapped us in a dream. This is a dream!"

"It all makes sense now." Naoto said. "It explains our earlier confusion as well."

"I guess all that's left is to wake up." Yu said.

"Yeah, let's wake up." Naoto said. "I'll take the truth over fantasy any day. Even if this fantasy is pretty great."

"I can agree with you there." Yu said. The world around them melted as the dream collapsed.

* * *

Almost at once the group began waking up. The exception was Ruby. Yang made her way over to Ruby's bedside. "What's wrong with her?" Yang asked the doctors.

"I don't know." One of the doctor's said. "She's sleeping just like the rest of you, but she is significantly more badly injured."

"How bad is it?" Yang asked.

"Well, we managed to remove the metal fragments and the good news is they don't seem to have done any permanent damage." The doctor explained. "The bad news is she did lose a dangerous volume of blood. Until we perform more tests we can't rule out the possibility that she has suffered some neurological damage due to lack of oxygen."

"We need to wake her up now." Yang declared. She started for the television but Labrys blocked her path.

"There's nothin' we can do." Labrys said. "I was in there. There's no access to any of your dream worlds."

"The only way out is for her to do it on her own, like we did." Blake said. "Believe in her."

* * *

Ruby awoke in a state of confusion. She did not know where she was. She was about to panic but as she looked around her mind cleared and she began to remember. She was at home on Patch, in her bed. It was strange that she would not recognize it. Her face hurt for some reason. Maybe she had hit her head in her sleep. That would explain it.

Ruby stumbled out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She sat down at the table. "Good morning mom." She said.

Summer was cooking something and had not noticed Ruby's arrived. "Oh, I didn't see you there." She said. "How did you sleep?"

"Not great." Ruby replied. "I think I hit my head or something. I don't feel very rested either."

"I think this will make you feel better." Summer said as she opened the oven. She extracted a tray of chocolate chip cookies. "Looks like perfect timing. Just give them a few minutes to cool."

"Thanks mom." Ruby said. "So where's Yang?"

"She's at Beacon, don't you remember?" Summer replied. "She doesn't get to come home on her days off like you do."

"I wonder if she likes it there." Ruby said. "Hopefully one day I'll go too."

"I'm sure you'll get in." Summer said. "You're going great at Signal and our family has a history there. Your uncle Qrow and the headmaster are close friends you know. Just be sure it's what you really want to do."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Being a Huntress won't be easy." Summer answered. "It's dangerous and you'll face many hardships. You won't get to spend much time with your family and friends either, just your teammates really. It's not for everyone."

Ruby started eating the cookies. She should probably have waited a few more minutes but she could bear it no longer. "You still get to spend time with me." Ruby said with her mouth full.

"Well I'm retired." Summer explained. "When I was still active it was mission after mission. I barely had time to rest, let alone have any fun."

"But you tell such fun stories." Ruby said.

"There were some great times to be sure, but it wasn't always enjoyable or exciting." Summer said. "There was a lot of pain and boredom mixed in there too. That just doesn't make for good stories, so I don't talk about it. It can be very lonely. You would hardly have any time to see me at all."

"That would be hard." Ruby admitted. "It's hard to imagine life without you helping me along." Ruby thought about it and suffered a sharp pain in her head. "Ow!" She cried. She closed her eyes and held her head until the pain started to fade.

"Are you alright?" Summer asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's just a headache." Ruby said. Her voice was strained.

"Maybe you should lie down." Summer suggested.

"I think you're right." Ruby said. She grabbed one last cookie and headed back to her room. She flopped down on her bed, looking at the ceiling.

The pain was almost gone now. What had brought that on? Ruby was just thinking about life without her mother. The pain returned, stronger this time. Why? Why did it hurt when she thought about that? No matter. She decided to think about something else. She wondered how Yang was doing. They had been on some crazy adventures together. Wait a minute. Ruby seemed to remember that they had been a team. Pain shot through her skull. What was this? Back to her thoughts. How could Yang have been on a team with her? Ruby was too young and Signal did not assign them anyway. She would have had to go to Beacon with Yang for that. Another sharp pain. Something was clearly very wrong but Ruby could not tell if it was physical or psychological.

Summer walked into the room. "You said you were feeling tired so I made you some coffee." Summer said, handing the mug to Ruby.

"Thanks." Ruby said. "At least you didn't have to climb up like Weiss."

"Who's Weiss?" Summer asked.

"Weiss is…" Ruby started before the pain in her head returned with a vengeance. She dropped the coffee mug. It fell to the floor and coffee splashed onto the wall and carpet.

"Oh my, are you okay?!" Summer exclaimed.

"Why does my head hurt whenever I try to remember?!" Ruby shouted.

"What are you even trying to remember?" Summer asked.

A series of images surged through Ruby's head, accompanied by shooting pains. Beacon, Weiss, Blake, fighting in the forest, Torchwick, shadows, and…her mother's grave. "This world isn't real!" Ruby screamed in panic. "I go to Beacon, I'm on Yang's team, Weiss and Blake are my teammates and…you're dead."

"I'm calling a doctor." Summer said as she rushed out of the room.

"This world isn't real." Ruby cried. "I want it to be real but it isn't. I…I have to wake up." The world around her melted as the dream collapsed.

* * *

Ruby woke up. "What happened?" She asked.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're awake!" She hugged Ruby tightly. Too tightly for Ruby's liking.

"Yang…please…can't breathe…" Ruby gasped as she tried to squirm free. Finally Yang relented.

"We were all really worried about you." Yu said. "Hypnos trapped us all in dreams, but we woke up hours ago."

"That's what happened to me too." Ruby said. "Mom was alive…" She trailed off, too emotional to say anything more about it. "What were your dreams like?"

"The three of us were in the same dream." Yang said, pointing to her teammates. "Weiss was team leader, Faunus had equal rights to make Blake happy, and my mom never left. The problem was you weren't there. How could we ever be happy in a world without you?"

"Could we have been in the same dream?" Yosuke asked. "I talked to Yu in mine."

"I talked to him in my dream too." Rise said. "I was the number one idol in Japan."

"I was running the local Junes and Saki was still alive in mine." Yosuke said.

"I talked to Yu as well." Naoto said. She was not willing to divulge the whole truth. "My parents were still alive."

"I'm pretty sure we were all in the same dream." Yu said. "I was with…"

Naoto elbowed Yu in the gut. "Yes, we must have all shared that dream world." Naoto said staring daggers at Yu.

Yu knew what Naoto was getting at. He needed to be discreet or she would kill him. "My dream wasn't too different from real life." Yu said, sticking to the vaguest of descriptions.

"Well you do have a pretty awesome life." Yosuke said.

"We kind of all do." Rise said. "Maybe that's why the dreams couldn't hold us."

"There weren't shadows either." Blake added. "I wonder why Hypnos did not resist us."

"Speaking of which, how did Aigis escape her dream?" Weiss asked.

"Makoto, a different one from Hypnos, showed up and destroyed Hypnos." Aigis explained. "The dream then fell apart."

"Makoto was there?" Mitsuru asked. "Could it have really been him?" She wanted him to be alive just as desperately as the others did. Any sign that he was still out there in some form was something they could cling to.

"I do not think so." Aigis said. "I suspect his appearance was the result of genetic material burned onto my Papillion Heart when he made physical contact with it. That could also explain how I inherited his powers."

"He touched your heart?" Labrys asked. "Were you that badly damaged in combat? Our hearts are normally only accessed under extreme circumstances in carefully controlled laboratory conditions."

"No, I was not injured." Aigis replied. "I instructed him on how to do so and he touched my Papillion Heart at my request. In the process, some of his skin cells were permanently burned into it."

"So he touched your secret place and left behind genetic material?" Yosuke said. "That sounds a lot like sex."

"I am aware of the symbolism." Aigis said. "Given the limitations imposed by my physical form, it was the most intimate thing we could have done."

"I can think of a few other things you…" Yosuke started. Yu smacked him in the back of the head. "Sorry, I'll shut up."

"So, anyway, do you think Hypnos has been destroyed?" Rise asked.

"I do not know." Aigis said. "If he is a god as he claimed, it would be foolish to assume he is gone for good. However, I do not think we have much to fear from him in the short term. He has been defeated."

"So it's all over?" Ruby asked. "I'm a little disappointed that we weren't the ones to take him down."

"I'm just happy you're okay." Yang said. "The important thing is that now everyone is safe."

"I guess that means it's time for you guys to go home." Yu said.

"It's time for all of us to go home." Naoto said. "Rise's show is tomorrow and then we fly back to Japan."

"Even though we always seem to spend all our time together fighting shadows, I had a lot of fun." Ruby said. "It's a shame we have to leave."

"But leave you must." Margaret said. Somehow the group had not noticed the glowing blue door on the other side of the room. "Gather your things. It is time to go."

"Hold on, I have an idea." Rise said. "Before you go, why don't you all come to my show tomorrow? I mean, we're all here already. Margaret, you can come too if you want."

Margaret thought for a moment. "I feel my sister would get more enjoyment out of it, but it could be interesting." She said. "Alright, you can stay for one more day."

* * *

 **End Volume 2**


	37. The Tournament

*Author's Note: I'm back! I won't be releasing chapters at the breakneck pace I used to, just one or two a week, or maybe none at all on occasion. I have been and will continue to be busy. I am committed to finishing this story, and I hope you enjoy it.*

*Double Author's Note!: I really like feedback. One of the reasons I write these stories is to improve my overall writing skills, and I can't do that unless I get feedback. Did you like something? Tell me. Did you not like something? Tell me that too. Did that line crack you up? Did it make you cringe? I want to know. I appreciate anything you can tell me that helps me be a better writer.*

 **Volume 3**

Chapter 37

"Remember, as important as it is to train, you need rest as well." Glynda advised as she dismissed the class. "If you're exhausted, your performance will suffer." The class filed out, done after another long day. The Vytal Festival Tournament was just days away and activity around Beacon was more hectic than usual.

"So, what should we do now?" Yang asked her teammates as they headed back to the dorm.

"Sleep…" Ruby said with a yawn. Though usually a bundle of limitless energy, her reserves were spent after weeks of relentless training.

"For once I think I have to agree." Weiss said.

Team JNPR was waiting for the quartet just outside the dorm. "Hello." Pyrrha said with her characteristic cheerfulness. "Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

"Not really." Blake replied. "Why?"

"Well, we were going to have a little pre-tournament party." Pyrrha said. "Training has been pretty tough on everyone, and I think this is a good way to keep everyone's spirits up."

"Plus Ren is making pancakes!" Nora exclaimed.

"Well, as long as it doesn't go too late." Blake said. "We're all pretty tired."

"Don't worry, we are too." Pyrrha said. "Isn't that right Jaune?" Jaune was reclined on a nearby bench, already asleep.

"Looks like it might be shorter than we thought." Ren said.

* * *

The party turned out to not be much of a party. Jaune fell asleep immediately and everyone else was too tired to be excited or particularly hungry. Well, except Nora who ate almost all of Ren's pancakes.

Conversation turned inevitably to the tournament. "So, what if we had to fight each other?" Ruby asked. "That would be pretty tough."

"Mostly because Pyrrha would annihilate all of us, but I know what you mean." Yang added. "It's hard to fight your friends."

"I think we would be doing a disservice to our teammates and each other if we did not give it our all, no matter the opponent." Pyrrha said. "I would expect you to fight us the same way you would fight anyone else."

"That wouldn't make it any easier but I guess you're right." Blake said.

"Hello, sorry to interrupt." Margaret said. Somehow none of them had noticed the glowing blue door that had appeared in the room.

"Margaret, what are you doing here?" Weiss asked.

"Team YYRN will need your assistance." Margaret replied. "Eris and Hypnos are up to something."

"Who is Margaret?" Ren asked. "Who are Eris and Hypnos?"

"To put it simply, Margaret is a being from a parallel universe and a friend of Yu." Weiss explained. "Eris is the goddess behind the whole thing where you guys were thrown into the shadow world and Hypnos is the god we went to YYRN's world to fight."

"I apologize but this is urgent." Margaret said. "Formal introductions and full explanations can wait. Right now you must come with me."

"YYRN might need their weapons." Ruby said. "I'll go get them." Margaret was about to stop her but Ruby was gone in a flash, returning with a bag containing the weapons moments later.

"We're going with you too." Pyrrha declared.

"Yeah, we won't let you fight without us!" Nora added.

"Are you sure?" Blake asked. "It could be dangerous."

"That just makes it more important that we join you." Pyrrha said. "You should not have to face danger alone."

"They may accompany you." Margaret said. "Just hurry."

"We just need to get our gear and we'll be ready to go." Yang said.

* * *

"I always loved the view from up here." Naoto said, leaning against Yu. The pair sat on a bench atop the hill overlooking Inaba. They were supposed to meet up with some other members of the Investigation Team later that night but came to town early to spend some time alone together.

"It is beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as you." Yu said.

"Stop, you're embarrassing me." Naoto said as her face turned bright red. She slapped Yu on the shoulder. "Besides, cheap pickup lines don't work on me."

"They don't, but you've always been partial to the truth." Yu said. "I love you."

"I…I love you too." Naoto stammered. She and Yu leaned toward each other for a kiss.

"Hello." Margaret said from right behind them. Somehow, neither had noticed the glowing blue door that had appeared. "Am I interrupting?"

Naoto recoiled in surprise and embarrassment. "Margaret!" She shouted. "When did you get here?"

"What's going on?" Yu asked.

"Eris and Hypnos are up to something." Margaret said. "I have already assembled your friends. Please hurry and come with me. Time is of the essence."

"I should get my sword." Yu said.

"Team RWBY brought your weapons with them." Margaret said. "They're already waiting for you."

"Alright then, let's go." Naoto said.

* * *

"Akihiko, you will be late for class." Aigis said.

"Can I please just finish my lunch in peace?" Akihiko sighed. He was almost done and the food was too tasty to rush.

"Your caloric intake is sufficient to sustain you for the duration of your class." Aigis said. "Further consumption will lead to the gain of excess weight."

"I'll work it off." Akihiko said, eating more. "This stuff is too good to let it go to waste."

"Mitsuru would be displeased if you were to be late for class." Aigis warned.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Akihiko said with his mouth full.

"It seems there is no convincing you." Aigis sighed. "Perhaps the chemical composition of your meal has affected your brain chemistry."

"Hello." Margaret said.

"Oh, hey." Akihiko said, still eating.

"Margaret, what brings you here?" Aigis asked.

"Hypnos is up to something." Margaret replied. "It is imperative that you come with me. I have already assembled your friends."

"As soon as I'm done eating." Akihiko said.

"Time is of the essence." Margaret insisted. "You must come now."

"I had hoped to avoid this." Aigis said. She stood up from her chair and moved behind Akihiko. Grabbing him under the arms she lifted him up. "We are going now."

* * *

Yu and Naoto followed Margaret through the door and after being temporarily blinded emerged into another world. The place appeared to be a massive copy of the Roman Colosseum as it would have appeared in its heyday. Teams RWBY and JNPR, Mitsuru, Labrys, Yosuke and Rise were already there waiting for them. "Senpai, you're here!" Rise exclaimed as she ran up and embraced Yu. "This place gives me the creeps."

"I can see what you mean." Yu said as he looked around. The sky was an unnatural shade of orange, and its appearance as the site of ancient slaughter was certainly disconcerting. Yu looked behind him and noticed that Margaret had not come along. She had promised to explain the situation. "Something's definitely off."

"Hey guys." Yosuke said. If their surroundings troubled him, he did not show it. "It's a real surprise to end up here huh? I was just dealing with another crisis at work when Margaret showed up out of nowhere. I had to say I was sick to take the rest of the day off."

"I was in the dressing room in a break in rehearsals." Rise said. "I left a note saying I had a family emergency."

"What were you two doing?" Yosuke asked. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why were you together? Were you on a date or something?"

Caught, Naoto panicked and had no words. Yu was ready. "We were on the same train heading to Inaba." Yu said without missing a beat. "Luckily our car was empty."

"Oh, that makes sense." Yosuke said, more than a little disappointed. "So did Margaret tell you what's going on?"

"Only that Eris and Hypnos were involved." Naoto said. "She promised to explain more once we arrived."

"That's what the others said too." Rise said. "Maybe she's getting more help."

The door reappeared and Aigis stepped out, carrying Akihiko. He was furiously eating something. Aigis placed him on the floor and he glared at her. "I was almost done." He said.

"So, do you guys know what's going on?" Yosuke asked.

Akihiko shook his head and swallowed the last of his food. "Margaret promised to inform us upon our arrival." Aigis reported. She looked back. The door was gone and Margaret was nowhere to be seen. "That is strange."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Rise said. "I can't sense Margaret anywhere." It was clear that Rise was scanning but her Persona did not appear. The world must have been attached to Remnant, so the Persona users would be able to channel their Personas' powers directly. "I'll keep searching."

Akihiko, done pouting about his lunch, walked over to Mitsuru and Labrys who were conversing with Team JNPR. "So, who are you guys?" He asked.

"This is Team JNPR." Mitsuru introduced them. "Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren. They're friends of Team RWBY."

"That's Akihiko and this is my sister Aigis." Labrys added for JNPR's benefit.

"I suppose you're all friends of Yu's then." Pyrrha said.

"We are." Labrys confirmed.

Rise's eyes shot open and her face assumed a look of terror. "Eris and Hypnos are here!" She announced, her voice shaky. "There's something else too. It's powerful and…dark." Margaret appeared in what would have been the Emperor's box. Eris stepped up alongside her. "That's not Margaret." Rise warned.

"This disguise has served its purpose." Margaret's body dissolved and reformed into the shape of a pale-skinned man wearing a dark suit.

"Hypnos I presume." Blake said.

"The same." Hypnos said. "I'm glad you could all make it here. We've got great things in store."

"What are you planning?" Naoto demanded. "What do you want with us?"

"We defeated you before, we'll do it again!" Yang shouted.

"As promised, you'll all get a full explanation." Hypnos said, his voice calm. "Allow us to introduce our brother."

A man stepped forward. He was taller than Hypnos and had pale blue eyes, wore a similar black suit and had a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck that partially obscured the lower part of his face. "Ryoji!?" Aigis gasped.

"That was my name once." The man said. It was not Ryoji's voice but deeper and more menacing. "I have been known by many names, including death, but I prefer Thanatos."

"What's all this about?" Yosuke asked. "Are you mad at us for stopping your brother and sister?"

"I harbor no hostility toward any of you." Thanatos announced. The tone of his voice made the statement questionable. "I simply wish to see my mother's will done."

"Nyx…" Mitsuru whispered to herself.

"Yes, our mother Nyx." Thanatos said having heard Mitsuru, though she had been almost silent. "I will see her set free, and yes, that will mean an end to life on both your worlds. You are the chosen representatives of your respective planets. In accordance with my mother's desire I will give you the opportunity to stop me."

"Alright, come on down here and we'll kick your ass!" Yang shouted.

"Not so fast." Thanatos said. "First, you must prove your collective desire to survive."

"How do we do that?" Naoto asked.

"We will have a tournament with combat to the death." Thanatos replied.

"So you want us to kill each other?" Labrys asked. "Never!"

"Oh no, your opponents will not be one another." Thanatos said. "That would not work. I know your loyalty to your friends is too strong. Rather than be forced to kill, you would commit suicide first. That would defeat my purpose. You will be battling shadows. Those that survive will be given the chance to stop me."

"Bring it on!" Nora yelled, eager for combat.

"There will be order to the proceedings." Thanatos continued. "You will be split into teams of two. For the first two rounds, each team will select a single member to fight. For the third, each pair will fight in tandem. After that, the survivors may face me."

"I think Yu and Nora should team up." Blake suggested. "His powers go well with her semblance."

"I call Weiss!" Ruby said, grabbing Weiss by the arm.

"No." Weiss said, pulling her arm back, much to Ruby's disappointment.

"I will be selecting the teams!" Thanatos shouted over the din. "First up, the lovers from Team JNPR, Ren and Nora."

"We're not 'together' together." Nora protested. Ren nodded in agreement.

"Keep telling yourselves that." Thanatos said. "The remaining members, Jaune and Pyrrha, will also be a team. Then the founding members of SEES, Mitsuru and Akihiko, will team up."

"Sounds good to me." Akihiko said with a shrug. He felt confident he would be successful beside anyone.

"The sisters Aigis and Labrys." Thanatos continued. Both were happy to hear it. "More sisters, Ruby and Yang." Ruby was excited and Yang was relieved that she would be in a position to protect her sister. "RWBY's on Romeo and Juliet, Weiss and Blake will be a team."

"Romeo and Juliet?" Weiss said with confusion.

"It's a play from earth about the forbidden love of members of rival families." Rise explained. "It's so romantic."

"It's actually disturbingly dark." Naoto corrected her.

"We're not a couple." Blake said flatly.

"Then Yosuke and Rise, idolater and idol." Thanatos said, ignoring Blake's protest. "Finally Yu and Naoto. Sorry for interrupting your date."

"I knew it!" Yosuke yelled as Naoto hid her face with her hat in embarrassment.

"Take some time to prepare." Thanatos said. "I will return shortly to begin the tournament." With that, Thanatos, Eris and Hypnos vanished into thin air.

"What do we do now?" Yang asked.

"I guess we should decide who's fighting in the first round." Pyrrha suggested. "I volunteer for my team."

"No, let me." Jaune said. "The first round should be the easiest. You're much stronger than I am, you should rest up for round two."

"If you're sure." Pyrrha said. "I could handle both fights."

"I don't just want to be dead weight." Jaune said. "I don't want to be a burden."

* * *

"I still can't find any way out." Rise said, still scanning. "I don't think this world is connected to any of the shadow worlds we've been in before. There's not even an exit."

"I tried summoning one like Teddie showed me, but I didn't have any luck." Yosuke said. "This place is something different."

"I guess we'll have to go along with this for now." Weiss said.

"Kujikawa, how are you using your powers without your Persona?" Mitsuru asked.

"Oh, Personas don't really work here." Rise tried to explain. "We can just use our Persona's powers directly. For example, Yu can shoot electricity from his hands."

"But how?" Mitsuru asked.

"If I just concentrate, it happens." Yu said. He held out his hands and electricity arced between them. "It's not that different from using a Persona."

"I suppose I should try it out before we have to fight." Mitsuru said. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thrust her hand out to her side and chunks of ice flew from her fingertips. "Interesting." She said. "It is similar to using a Persona but the sensation is…unique."

"I guess that means I have lightning punches now." Akihiko said. He clenched his fist and arcs of electricity licked out into the surrounding air. "This could be interesting."

"Unfortunately, our weapons seem to be lacking." Mitsuru said as she looked at her rapier with disappointment. "Everything here seems to also be a gun."

"Don't worry about it." Ruby said. "Bullets aren't too effective against shadows anyway. You really have to get in there and hack them up." She unfolded Crescent Rose and swung it around.

"Is there anything else we should know about this world?" Aigis asked.

"Well, you should have auras." Ruby said.

"Auras?" Labrys asked.

"It's sort of like a shield." Yosuke explained. "It automatically protects you from hits, but it's not unlimited. If it runs out you'll be just as vulnerable as on earth."

"I don't understand." Akihiko said.

"Ren, demonstrate on me!" Nora suggested.

"Alright." Ren agreed. With a shake of his arm an SMG slid from his sleeve and into his hand. He leveled the weapon at Nora and squeezed the trigger. A short burst struck Nora in the chest, each shot producing a small flash as it struck but leaving no wounds behind.

"See, I'm totally fine." Nora said.

"That demonstration was rather alarming." Mitsuru said. "The concept of an aura is comforting though. It should adequately compensate for not being able to use a Persona."

Pyrrha stared at Aigis, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Is something the matter?" Aigis asked.

"You are…not human, correct?" Pyrrha asked, being as delicate as possible so as not to offend.

"I am a robot if that is what you are asking." Aigis replied. "The same goes for Labrys. We are Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons. Are robots uncommon on in your world?"

"Not robots in general, but I have never known a robot to have a personality." Pyrrha said. "I have also never encountered a robot with an aura."

"Well there is…never mind." Ruby started, cutting herself off before saying too much.

"Your aura is also very powerful." Pyrrha continued. "I can feel it. Labrys' aura is similarly strong." She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"It is no trouble." Aigis said with a smile. "Curiosity about my sister and I is only natural, even on earth. At home, we do our best to hide that we are anything other than human, as we are the only two of our kind."

"I can see Labrys' weapon is that awesome axe." Nora said. "What's yours?"

"I have firearms built into my hands." Aigis said. She extended her arms and her fingers retracted to reveal gun barrels.

"That's so cool!" Ruby squealed. She rushed over to Aigis, grabbed her hand and began examining it. "It's like you are a weapon!"

"You are making me uncomfortable." Aigis said.

"You'll have to excuse her." Weiss sighed. "That dolt loves weapons more than people."

"Hey!" Ruby protested. "That not…I just…weapons are cool and talking to people is hard."

"I think Naoto can sympathize with the socially awkward angle." Rise laughed. "Naoto?" Naoto appeared to be deep in thought, a look of concern on her face. "Naoto, what's wrong?"

"Something doesn't add up." Naoto said. "What Thanatos said, this setup, something just seems off. I can't figure out exactly what, but all is not as it seems."

"I agree." Yu said. "Something is definitely not right."

"We're fighting to prevent the end of the world." Blake said. "That kind of situation is never going to feel right."

"It's more than that." Naoto said. "I just don't think we can take this at face value."

"Do you think Ryoji…Thanatos is lying?" Mitsuru asked. "In our previous encounter he was very forthright."

"He might be lying." Naoto said. "At the very least he's not telling us everything. I just can't…"

"It is time for the tournament to begin." Thanatos said as he and his siblings materialized in the Emperor's box. "Ren and Nora, select a combatant for the first round."


	38. Violence of Action

Chapter 38

"I'll fight!" Nora shouted eagerly. Before Ren could argue Nora already had Magnhild at the ready.

"Be careful." Ren said. "We don't know what he's planning." Nora nodded.

"Very good." Thanatos said with a smile.

"All those not competing, please move to the spectator area." Eris said. The wall behind the combatants transformed into a staircase that led up to the seats opposite the Emperor's box. With trepidation and reluctance, the group made their way off of the arena floor, leaving Nora alone. She did not seem worried in the least.

"As for your opponent…let's see." Thanatos said. "How about an Ursa?"

"Oh, I thought it would be something exciting." Nora groaned, oblivious to the danger.

"Then we'll just have to make it an exciting Ursa." Thanatos grinned.

A swirling black mass grew out of the floor in the center of the arena. It slowly piled up upon itself before collapsing into the form of a colossal Ursa. The shadow Grimm's black body was studded all over with armor-like white plates, and its hands and feet were tipped with over-sized claws. The monster roared, baring crooked, jagged teeth.

All the while the smile never left Nora's face. The snarling Ursa charged at her and Nora was not about to sit and await its arrival. She raced toward the beast at a full sprint, ready to swing her hammer. As they closed the Ursa cocked its arm and swung its giant, razor-sharp claws. Nora met its attack with Magnhild. Claws and metal met with a thunderous crash and both combatants were pushed back. Rather than trying to fight the momentum, Nora spun completely around and slammed Magnhild into the beast's side.

The Ursa, unmoved, lunged forward, using its bulk to knock Nora off balance. She stumbled, giving the Ursa just enough of an opening to hit her with a clean swipe of its claw. Nora sailed through the air, landed hard on her side and tumbled across the arena floor. She regained control and flipped to her feet before skidding to a stop. The Ursa did not let off and charged with reckless abandon. Nora side-stepped the attack and slammed Magnhild into the beast's leg as it passed. The Ursa slammed to the ground and skidded into the wall that surrounded the combat floor. Nora not charged, intent on delivering a killing blow but the gigantic shadow was surprisingly quick. It leapt aside just in time and Nora smashed Magnhild into the stone wall, shattering it.

Nora slammed Magnhild into the ground and fired, using the resulting explosion to leap high into the air just as the Ursa made another swipe. At the peak of her jump she fired again, this time propelling herself into a series of high-speed downward flips. She was not fast enough. The Ursa adjusted its position, timed its strike perfectly and met Nora mid-air with a powerful punch. Nora was sent into an uncontrolled tumble and looked headed for the seats. Instead she slammed into an invisible barrier and fell a considerable distance to the arena floor, landing with a sickening thud.

The Ursa roared in triumph and stomped over to the motionless Huntress. It raised its foot and slammed it down onto Nora. Then there was an explosion and the Ursa was pitched onto its back. Nora stood up from the smoking crater and fired several grenades into the shadow. She was no longer smiling. She was angry. The Ursa struggled to its feet and attempted to retreat under the bombardment as Nora advanced inexorably toward it. With retreat not working, the shadow charged. Nora was ready. She leapt up and slammed Magnhild into the back of its head. The combination of the blow and its momentum sent the Ursa sprawling. Before it could recover, Nora jumped onto its back and slammed her hammer down onto the back of its head, crushing it flat.

Then something strange happened. Normally when a shadow – or Grimm for that matter – was killed, it would simply melt and evaporate away. The Ursa burst into glowing ashes that dispersed into the air. The more observant combatants noticed that for a split-second Thanatos had assumed a subtle glow as well. Nora thought it looked quite pretty and besides was thrilled to have won the fight. Unable to contain herself she jumped and shouted in excitement.

"Very good Ms. Valkyrie." Thanatos said while giving a less-than-sincere applause. "You have defeated your opponent. You may join your comrades."

The wall in front of the others again transformed into a ramp. Nora ran up and was immediately met by an anxious Ren. "Nora, you were almost out of aura." Ren said. "You should be more careful."

"Alright." Nora sighed, her excitement tempered by Ren's warning.

"Hey Thanatos!" Akihiko called. "What did you do to that shadow?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Thanatos asked, feigning ignorance.

"You absorbed its energy." Naoto said. "Is that what this is about? You're absorbing the power we generate in defeating the shadows?"

"How very observant." Thanatos said with a sly smile. "I did absorb what energy remained in that shadow. I did, however, have to expend far more to create it in the first place. Only a small proportion survived its destruction. That should give you more incentive to win. If you fall, I reabsorb the shadow's energy in its entirety, along with that of the slain."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Blake asked.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take me at my word." Thanatos admitted. "Your success weakens me, but your deaths would empower me. Is that not enough reason to stay alive?" It was a good point. The only option was to fight and nothing would be gained from dying even if Thanatos were lying. Whatever the reality, they were backed into a figurative corner. "The time for questions is over." Thanatos declared. Eris waved her hand over the arena and the damage done during Nora's fight repaired itself. It reminded RWBY and JNPR of Glynda's powers. "Mitsuru and Akihiko, chose a combatant for the next battle." Thanatos commanded.

"I'll handle this one." Akihiko said. He cracked his knuckles and started for the ramp.

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru asked.

"I live for this." Akihiko said without looking back. He descended the ramp and took his spot on the arena floor as the wall reformed behind him.

"Now, for you opponent…" Thanatos trailed off as he thought. "Let's see a nice clean boxing match."

A swirling black mass rose from the center of the arena rising to about Akihiko's height before it collapsed into the form of a heavily-muscled man wearing spiked gauntlets. "Spiked knuckles huh?" Akihiko laughed. "That's not quite a fair fight." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves studded with nails. "Luckily I'm prepared."

Akihiko and the shadow circled each other for a few seconds before the shadow stepped forward and launched the first punch, a straight right. Akihiko moved his head aside and the punch missed him by inches. He followed with a right uppercut and the shadow leaned back and out of the strike's range before it retaliated with a straight left. Akihiko met the shadow's forearm with his own and pushed the attack aside before landing a punch to its gut. The shadow jumped back before lunging forward with a right. The pair's spiked knuckles met in a shower of sparks as the attack was deflected. With their knuckles interlinked, the shadow twisted its arm, dragging Akihiko off balance. The opening allowed the shadow to connect with a left hook.

Akihiko stumbled back and put a hand to the side of his head. He looked at it expecting to see blood but there was none. "I guess this aura thing really works." He said. "I wonder if this will."

Akihiko concentrated and thrust his hand toward the shadow, coming up well short. Lightning flew from his fingertips but the shadow caught the attack on its gauntlets, dissipating the charge harmlessly into the ground. That gave Akihiko the opening he needed. He charged and unleashed a flurry of punches into the shadow's head and chest. The shadow struggled to defend itself but Akihiko was too quick for it. Suddenly the shadow jumped forward and head-butted him.

Akihiko was surprised and dazed by the dirty strike and abruptly halted his onslaught as he tried to regain his bearings. The shadow followed up by kicking him in the groin. As Akihiko doubled over in pain the shadow slammed its elbow down onto the back of his head. He slammed face-first into the ground. The shadow slammed its fist down at him but Akihiko was just able to roll out of the way, leaving the shadow's spiked gauntlet stuck in the ground.

"So that's how we're gonna' play it." Akihiko said as he stood up, the shadow still struggling to free itself. He ripped off his shirt, not bothering to unbutton it. "Let's do this."

The shadow finally wrenched its arm free and the combatants faced off once again. With a cocky smirk Akihiko taunted the shadow with a 'come get some' hand gesture. The shadow grunted angrily, cocked its arm and unleashed a powerful left. Akihiko dove forward under the strike, slammed his shoulder into the shadow's waist and wrapped his arms around its legs. He lifted the shadow up and slammed it down hard onto its back.

Akihiko jumped atop the shadow and postured up, raining punches down on its face as it struggled to protect itself. The nails in his gloves tore into the shadow, each hit generating a spray of black ooze. Akihiko reared back, electricity arcing between the nails and slammed his fist into the shadow's chin. It writhed as electricity coursed through it until its head burst into a cloud of black liquid. What remained of the shadow burst into glowing ash.

"Not quite what I expected but a thrilling fight nonetheless." Thanatos said. "You are victorious. Please leave the combat area."

"That was just a warm-up." Akihiko declared as he climbed the ramp.

"What do you have against shirts?" Mitsuru sighed. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'll take a little discomfort in return for more freedom of movement." Akihiko said. He turned to the others. "Hey Red."

"Me?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, you don't happen to have an extra cape do you?" Akihiko asked.

"Not with me." Ruby replied. "You can't have this one."

"Oh well." Akihiko shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"You have an…unorthodox fashion sense." Yosuke said.

"I don't know, I think he looks fine without a shirt." Yang said with a wink. She noticed Blake staring. "Does he remind you of someone?"

"No, of course not!" Blake lied. "I wasn't staring."

"I'm just joking around." Yang laughed. "Your abs are as impressive as Sun's. That's almost as good as mine."

"Now for our next match." Thanatos interrupted their conversation. "Weiss and Blake, select a combatant."

"I'll do it." Blake volunteered.

Weiss handed Blake some elemental dust rounds. "You know what to do." She said.

"I'll put them to good use." Blake said as she slid the magazine into Gambol Shroud. She descended the ramp and took her spot on the arena floor.

The ramp behind Blake transformed back into a wall. "A foe from your past would like a rematch." Thanatos said. "This time you'll have to go it alone." Churning black fluid rose up from the arena floor. As it began to coalesce parts began to glow red. Excess fluid fell away and disappeared, leaving behind what looked like an Atlesian spider droid. Blake had faced one before. If the shadow copy was anything like the genuine article, it would be a tough fight.

Being caught standing still would be certain death and Blake knew it. She set off at a full sprint, circling around the shadow. Every few steps she would change direction, leaving behind an explosive double. As the shadow blasted away at Blake's decoys, the air filled with smoke. The view was entirely obscured. The shadow struggled to locate its foe, firing at any sign of movement in the cloud. Blake suddenly burst from the smoke behind the shadow. She leapt onto its back and unloaded with Gambol Shroud. The shadow struggled to throw her off but its arms were unable to reach her. Her clip empty, she slashed away with Gambol Shroud's blade, her strikes only having the slightest effect on the mechanical shadow.

Throwing Blake off was not working so the shadow changed tactics. It reared up on its hind legs, teetered there for a moment, then fell onto its back, slamming Blake beneath its bulk. It leapt back up and spun around. Rearing up again, it slammed its legs down on Blake. It made contact only with an icy decoy that trapped its legs in place. Blake jumped over the shadow while reloading and immediately began shooting it in the back upon landing. The shadow, having difficulty freeing its legs, spun its torso around 180 degrees and fired its cannons wildly in Blake's direction.

The heavy salvo forced Blake to move, giving the shadow the time it needed. It spun its torso back around, aimed at the icy snare and fired. The ice shattered and took the tips of the shadow's legs with it. Blake shot at the shadow from a distance, resuming her strafing tactics, minus the explosive doubles having run out of the requisite dust. The shadow struggled to hit her with its arm cannons. It moved unsteadily on its damaged legs but was able to cut off Blake's run. She changed direction but that made her too predictable. The shadow merged its cannons and aimed ahead of Blake. It fired a heavy charged shot and the two met. The resulting explosion sent Blake flipping through the air. She landed hard on her shoulder, flipped once and slammed into the arena wall hard enough to crack it. Small bits of cracked stone fell on and around Blake as the shadow closed in to finish her off. It fired its merged cannon at point blank range.

When the smoke cleared Blake was gone. The shadow spun around and desperately searched for its opponent. Blake landed on her feet in the center of the arena after a high-arcing explosion-propelled leap. She charged straight at the shadow. It fired another charged shot but Blake easily dodged it, a decoy taking the hit for her. The shadow charged up another shot just as she reached it. She jumped, planted her feet on the cannon's muzzle and jumped off, leaving behind another double. It was too late for the shadow to cease firing. The frozen decoy took the shot resulting in an explosion inside the barrel. The shadow was blasted into mechanical pieces that rained down around the arena floor. What was left of the shadow burst into glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Clever, I'll remember that." Thanatos said. "You've won, leave the arena."

"Nice job." Yang said as Blake returned to the others.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked.

"That was closer than I'd care to admit." Blake said. "If that last move didn't do it, I was basically out of ideas. It was a very difficult fight. The rest of you need to be extremely careful."

"I'm sure we can handle whatever Thanatos throws at us." Pyrrha said. "My team and Team RWBY have been training for combat for most of our lives and the rest of you seem quite skilled."

"He's playing mind games." Blake warned. "That shadow was from an...uncomfortable chapter of my past. Don't be surprised if he tries something similar with the rest of you."

"Given what we've all been through with shadows, I don't think that'll be a problem." Yosuke said. "I don't think he can come up with anything worse than my shadow. It's probably the same for the rest of you."

"I can't argue with that." Mitsuru agreed. "He might be trying to lull us into false confidence though. The shadows so far haven't been that strong but I suspect he can ramp up the challenge if he likes. My powers are nowhere near the level of Kujikawa's, but even I can sense the tremendous difference between Thanatos' power and that of the shadow's he's summoned."

"I still get the feeling that something's not right." Naoto said.

"We shouldn't worry about that now." Ruby suggested. "Right now we should just worry about fighting. Then we can figure out what's really going on."

"What if that's what Thanatos wants?" Ren asked. "This feels like a trap."

"Unfortunately we don't seem to have much of a choice." Jaune sighed. "We're stuck here until he decides to let us go."

"That worries me." Yu said. "I thought Margaret would have come to help by now. She's let us move between worlds before."

"I'm afraid your friend Margaret has no power here." Thanatos cut in. "Nor do the other residents of the Velvet Room. This place is far beyond their reach. There will be no rescue. You will fight. If you win, you can go home. If you fall, there will be no home to return to."

The fact that Thanatos had heard everything they were saying was unsettling. The group had consciously kept their voices down. They should have expected it. Thanatos had the power to create the world and summon the shadows, why not omniscience? It hardly mattered. If Thanatos knew about Blake's past well enough to pull a shadow from it, he surely knew about their concerns and doubts.

"I call bullshit on your motivation for this whole thing." Yosuke challenged Thanatos. "If you had the power to free Nyx you'd just do it. Then she could decide for herself what's in accordance with her desires. You're obviously up to something."

"Think what you like." Thanatos growled. "You may however want to pay more attention to the upcoming match. It's your team's turn. Yosuke or Rise, who will it be?"


	39. Mind Games

Chapter 39

"I could just take care of both fights." Yosuke offered.

"Ah but you can't." Thanatos said. "You must each take a round."

"Well, I guess that's out the window." Yosuke sighed. "Alright, it would make sense if the second round was more difficult than the first, so maybe you should take this one."

"I can handle it." Rise said. She picked up her spear/laser and walked down the ramp. Taking up her place on the arena floor, she waited for her opponent as the ramp transformed back into a wall.

"You all accused me of playing mind games." Thanatos said. "I won't deny it, and if it's mind games you want it's mind games you'll get." The mass of shadow-goo that bubbled up from the arena floor grew massive before collapsing into a small humanoid form. As the excess fell away it became clear that it had taken the form of Naoto.

"You think because it has my friend's face I won't kill it?" Rise asked.

"That's part of it, but I intend to give you the full shadow experience." Thanatos laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rise demanded.

"I think you know." The shadow said. It sounded like Naoto but distorted like a bad recording and filled with malice. "I would think that this form would make you a more eager killer."

"That's absurd." Rise said. "Why would I be eager to hurt my friend?"

"Friend, such a funny word." The shadow said. "It means different things to different people. Apparently for you it's a person of whom you are jealous. A person you resent."

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Rise said. She was less than convincing.

"You want what I have." The shadow was now talking as if it were Naoto. The shift was subtle but disturbing. "You want what I have with Yu. Why would he choose me over you? You're so much sexier and so much more fun. You'd do anything to have what I have. Anything except actually saying it. You're too afraid to make us both hate you so you just keep it to yourself and act like it's not important. You act like it's not eating you up inside but it is. You just tell yourself it's for the best. Just let everyone be happy. Everyone except you."

"Alright, I get it!" Rise shouted. "I feel that way sometimes and I'm not proud of that. I don't hate Naoto for it. It certainly doesn't make me want to hurt her. You, on the other hand, you're just a shadow. I have no trouble hurting you, no matter what form you take."

"Then let's do this." The shadow hissed. It reached into its jacket and drew a revolver as Rise readied her weapon.

The shadow leveled its gun at Rise. She took aim herself and shined her laser in the shadow's eyes. The shadow recoiled and fired blindly, emptying its gun. By the time its vision cleared Rise was no longer where she had been. The sound of footsteps made the shadow turn, just in time to see Rise rushing toward it. She thrust her spear forward and the shadow jumped aside, narrowly escaping the attack. It attempted to pistol whip her but Rise was already ducking under the strike and it missed by a comfortable margin. Rise planted her spear against her foot and fired. The point extended with extreme speed and hit the shadow in the chest. The shadow was lifted off the ground and tossed onto its back.

Rise attempted to pin the shadow to the ground with her spear but it rolled out of the way and left her off balance. Jumping to its feet, the shadow went for a punch but Rise easily dodged it. It was like she knew it was coming. The shadow jumped back and raised both arms over its head. It brought them down and a blast of wind fired out in all directions. Rise tried to brace herself but was thrown off her feet and sent sliding across the arena floor. She did not waste a second, rolling to her feet and running as soon as her wild skid stopped, narrowly avoiding a fireball produced by the shadow. While running, Rise fired her laser in the shadow's general direction. Her fire was inaccurate but appeared to be doing some damage.

The shadow clenched its fist and a spectral shield appeared between it and Rise. Her laser fire was stopped well short of the target and the shadow was given time to counterattack. A black circle appeared on the ground ahead of Rise. She stumbled but managed to stop before hitting it. The circle collapsed and another appeared below her. She took off running erratically as a series of collapsing black circles appeared around her. A gigantic white square formed, too large for Rise run out of in time. She planted the tip of her spear in the ground.

The square collapsed in a blinding flash that filled the arena with light. When the light faded, Rise was gone. The shadow raised its arm in triumph but the match did not end. With an angry shriek Rise came falling out of the sky, heading straight for the shadow. She slammed the heavy, blunt end of her weapon down on its head, slamming it to the ground. Before the shadow could recover Rise plunged her spear into its chest. The shadow writhed for a moment before bursting into a cloud of glowing ash and evaporating away.

"Congratulations, you've won." Thanatos said flatly. "Please leave the arena floor."

Rise walked up the ramp to the others, still trying to catch her breath. "Okay, how the hell did you pull that off?" Yosuke asked. "You were trapped in the middle of the giant light attack and then the next time we saw you, you were flying."

"I wasn't really flying." Rise said. "I used my spear to launch myself off the ground. I got a lot more air than I was expecting but it worked out." She took a deep breath. "All that running was exhausting and that shadow was...humiliating. Senpai, Naoto, I'm really sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Yu shrugged. "You're only human. We all have nasty thoughts sometimes."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of you sometimes." Naoto added. "The way you interact with people so easily, your fame, your exciting career, there's a lot to be jealous of."

"We can talk about it more after this is over, but just know that we don't hold it against you." Yu said with a comforting smile.

"Oh, you guys are the best!" Rise exclaimed. She hugged both of them in turn.

"Sorry to interrupt, but this is a disturbing development." Mitsuru said. "Thanatos is clearly changing tactics."

"Well straight up fights weren't working." Weiss said. "Playing mind games is a way to throw us off without having to expend energy on summoning more powerful shadows."

"It's a disturbing thought, but we really don't know what he's capable of." Pyrrha said. "This tactic is bad enough but if it fails we have no way of knowing what he will try next."

"I'm sure whatever it is we'll be ready." Yosuke said. "We've dealt with some pretty bizarre stuff before."

"We have seen our share of strange occurrences too." Aigis said. "We were once trapped in a time loop."

"Yang once blew up a nightclub." Ruby added.

"I'm not sure that really applies here." Yang said.

"Me and Ren rode an Ursa!" Nora exclaimed. "It was so fun. Well, at least until it broke."

"What were we even talking about?" Yosuke asked, clearly confused.

"Time for the next match." Thanatos announced. "Jaune or Pyrrha, who will it be?"

"I should probably take this one." Jaune said. "I'll have to fight sometime."

"Alright, just be careful." Pyrrha advised. "Remember what we practiced."

"I guess we'll get to find out if that practice has been worth it." Jaune said with a forced laugh. He descended the ramp and waited as it transformed into a wall behind him. Jaune had already faced his shadow and he was confident he could handle whatever Thanatos could throw at him. He had learned a lot from Pyrrha and his other teammates, and now he was ready to put those newfound skills to the test.

The glob of shadow material that rose up in the center of the arena piled upon itself before condensing into a humanoid form. "Hey there Jauney-boy." The shadow said before it even finished forming.

"Oh come on!" Jaune protested. "Cardin? I thought I was done with him."

"Well I'm not done with you." The shadow laughed. "If I'm not mistaken, the last time we had a proper fight I beat the tar out of you."

"I've learned a lot since then." Jaune said.

"I'm sure you're just as useless as you were when you were my lackey." The shadow hissed.

"You're not even the real Cardin." Jaune said. He drew his sword and pointed it at the shadow. "Let's just get this over with."

"I always preferred kicking your ass to talking to you anyway." The shadow said.

The shadow charged as Jaune crouched behind his shield. At a full sprint, the shadow swung its mace. Jaune blocked it and the force sent him sliding back several meters. It hit at least as hard as the real Cardin. The shadow lunged forward with a wild swing and Jaune side-stepped it. He bashed the shadow on the back with his shield and stabbed forward with his blade. The stab was misjudged and missed badly, leaving Jaune open when the shadow whirled around and smashed him in the face with the mace. Jaune saw stars and stumbled back. The shadow kicked his legs out from under him and Jaune slammed down on his back.

Jaune rolled out of the way as the shadow slammed its mace down where his head had been. Scrambling to his feet, Jaune got his shield up just in time to deflect another mace shot. Now as the shadow's turn to be off balance. Jaune pressed forward, attacking the shadow's side. He blocked its attempt to counter with his shield and got inside its reach. Jaune slashed at the shadow, his blade drawing a shower of sparks as it deflected off the shadow's armor. He swung his sword again but this time the shadow ducked underneath the attack, grabbed Jaune behind the legs and threw him to the ground.

The shadow leapt atop Jaune, straddling his torso. Holding its mace with both hands, it lifted the weapon over its head and slammed it down on Jaune's face. There was a blinding flash as the mace bounced back harmlessly. The shadow was clearly stunned and Jaune used the opening to turn the tables. He slammed his shield into the side of the shadow's head, knocking it off. Jaune quickly rolled over, pinned the shadow's mace arm down with his shield. He flipped his sword around and plunged the blade into the shadow's stomach. Black sludge bubbled from the wound as the shadow writed for a moment then fell still.

Jaune withdrew his sword and headed back for the seats. It looked like the others were cheering for him, even if he could not hear anything. Interesting, the ramp had not reappeared. Suddenly Jaune was on the ground. His head ached and he was seeing double. "Man you're stupid." The shadow laughed, standing over him. "Finish your kills moron." The shadow lifted Jaune by the collar, set him on his feet and kneed him in the gut. As Jaune doubled over the shadow nailed him in the face with an upward strike from its mace.

Jaune found himself on his back again. The shadow had played a nasty trick. As it approached, Jaune decided to play a trick of his own. The shadow stepped up to him, a confident smirk on its face. Jaune kicked it in the groin. The shadow stumbled back, giving Jaune the opportunity to get to his feet. He took a few steps back to catch his breath as the shadow recovered from the low blow. After a moment the pair charged each other. Jaune deflected the shadow's mace with his shield, spun around and stabbed the shadow in the arm. It groaned in pain and dropped the mace. The shadow tried a desperate punch. Jaune ducked it and sliced off its arm. He stepped back then lunged forward, thrusting his blade through the shadow's neck. With a quick twist, he lopped the shadow's head off. It burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Congratulations, you've actually won this time." Thanatos said. "Rejoin your companions."

Jaune climbed the ramp to the others feeling more than a little embarrassed. He expected some jokes at his expense. "I know, that was dumb." He sighed.

"You need to be careful." Pyrrha said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You should never turn your back on an enemy. Your life is at stake."

"Yeah, my bad, I guess I got overconfident." Jaune said.

"As long as you learn from it, it's fine." Pyrrha encouraged him.

"I have to say, I'm a little annoyed." Rise said. "Unless I'm missing something, you got off easy with the mind games."

"You're not wrong." Jaune admitted. "He was a problem a while ago but I'm totally over it."

"Maybe Thanatos didn't think you were strong enough to bother." Blake said.

"Again, not wrong." Jaune groaned. "I don't think that performance is going to change anyone's mind either."

"You did fine." Pyrrha said. Jaune was unconvinced.

"I've been thinking, we've all got very different levels of ability but all the fights have been pretty close." Ruby observed. "That means Thanatos must be tailoring the strength of the shadow to each of us."

"It makes sense to a degree." Naoto said. "If it drains even a little of his power to create the shadows, he wouldn't want to waste energy by summoning shadows that totally overmatch us. That said, if he did that and killed us all, it would hardly matter."

"What if just killing us isn't the goal?" Mitsuru theorized. "Thanatos said as much. His aims may not be what he says, but there may be some truth to that."

"Maybe we're missing the point." Blake said. "Maybe he doesn't have a choice."

"Do you think he really is following Nyx's will?" Akihiko asked. "That would tie his hands."

"No, nothing like that." Blake replied. "I don't believe that at all. Maybe it's a more basic limitation on his power."

"Shadows are the produce of the unconscious mind." Yu said. The look on his face said he was putting pieces together. "Maybe he can only summon shadows by drawing them out of us. If that's the case, the shadows would naturally be similar to us in terms of ability level."

"Or it's something else entirely." Naoto sighed. "As painful as it is to admit, I can't figure this out. I need more evidence. It's a terrible thing to say, but I think we would learn a lot if one of us died."

"If you're looking for volunteers I don't think you'll find any." Ren said. "We've been down that road with our shadows already."

"No, that's not what I meant." Naoto said. She was clearly sorry she had said anything in the first place but it was too late now. "Sorry, I'm used to investigating crimes. Examining the body can tell you a lot about the killer. Seeing what Thanatos does if one of us falls would be similarly enlightening, though I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that."

"If I survived you guys shouldn't have any problems." Jaune said.

"You've come up with some interesting theories." Thanatos said. "No matter, it's time for the next match. Aigis or Labrys, you're up."

"I'll do it." Labrys volunteered.

"I am sure you can handle whatever Thanatos may have in store." Aigis said. Labrys nodded and descended into the arena.

"It's almost too easy with Labrys." Hypnos laughed. "She's so unstable." If Labrys was angered by the insult she did not show it. She did look worried though.

A swell of black sludge filled the center of the arena then collapsed, leaving behind a humanoid figure holding a gigantic sword. As the excess fell away it revealed a gray-haired robot girl with a close resemblance to Labrys. Labrys did not appear to be surprised but she did seem discouraged. "You're not exactly creative." Labrys sighed. "You made me face Unit 024 the last time too Hypnos."

"Why would he need to be creative?" The shadow said. "It's so effective! You keep having to kill me over and over. You say how hard it is. You say you can still see the look of pain and disappointment on my face the moment you crushed the life out of me. Yet you don't seem to have any difficulty repeating the process. Well, at least a part of you doesn't. It makes me wonder who the real Labrys is, you or the one with the yellow eyes. She seems to take charge whenever something important needs to be done. Maybe it's because you're too weak to do it without her. Come on now, bring her out so we can fight. I know you couldn't bear to kill me again. You're too weak to relive that pain."

"My shadow won't be making an appearance." Labrys declared. "You're not Unit 024. You're just a monster wearin' her face. Everythin' you say drives that point home. She would never say those horrible things. She would never be that evil. I won't have a problem killin' you."

"We'll get to find out won't we." The shadow said. It swung its huge sword around as if it were no heavier than cardboard. Labrys pulled the axe off of her back and it unfolded. She closed her eyes for a moment and a look of grim determination replaced the one of doubt. But there was no madness, no rage, it was just Labrys, facing her past, however painful.


	40. Sisters

Chapter 40

Labrys charged at the shadow. As she approached, she swung her axe around, firing its rockets to launch herself into a high speed spin. The shadow crouched down then leapt high into the air just as the axe sliced past. Labrys skidded to a stop and matched the shadow's crouch and leap. She fired her axe's boosters and met the shadow's sword with her axe. The force of the impact sent Labrys shooting downward while the shadow flew upward. Labrys landed on her feet as the shadow planted its feet against the invisible barrier that surrounded the arena. Pushing off the shadow rocketed down toward Labrys.

Labrys backflipped out of the way as the shadow slammed its sword into the arena floor. The stone slab shattered sending fragments flying in all directions and leaving a crater behind. The shadow needed a moment to regain its balance after the tremendous slam. It was the opening Labrys needed. She lunged forward, fired the rockets on her axe and crashed the blade into the shadow's side. The shadow went flying across the arena and slammed into the wall that surrounded it. Huge chunks of stone fell to the arena floor as the wall crumbled in a cloud of dust, leaving behind only the invisible barrier.

Labrys, keen not to give the shadow a chance to recover, raced into the cloud. She immediately came flying back out as the shadow landed a mighty swing of its sword. Labrys tumbled across the arena floor before rolling to her feet just in time to block another slash. The weapons met in a shower of sparks then locked together in a stalemate. Labrys and the shadow simultaneously jumped back, landing at opposite ends of the arena. They circled, slowly and carefully closing the distance.

It was time for a change of tactics. Using the power of a Persona without actually using the Persona itself was something completely alien to Labrys, but she was going to give it a shot. She reached out her hand, palm up, and clenched her fist. Spectral red ribbons rose from the arena floor and ensnared the shadow. Labrys reached back then flung her arm forward. Her hand, holding the axe, detached from her forearm and extended on its chain. The blade slammed down on top of the shadow, shattering its spectral bonds and smashing it into the ground. She whipped her arm around, moving her entire body to add force, and swung her hand and axe around in a wide circle. As the axe circled the arena, the shadow stumbled back to its feet. By the time it reached the shadow it was moving at terrifying speed.

The shadow did something entirely unexpected. It dropped its sword and grabbed the axe by the handle with both hands. It wrenched the axe back, pulling Labrys off her feet and sending her flying toward the shadow. The shadow threw the axe aside, twisting Labrys off kilter as she approached. Labrys was unable to recover control before reaching the shadow. It met her with a punch to the side of her head. The force of the blow slammed Labrys into the ground on her back where she lay stunned. The shadow picked up its sword, jumped, lifted the weapon over its head, and brought it crashing down at Labrys. Labrys lifted her free arm, catching the blade on her heavily armored forearm.

Labrys' other hand was still holding her axe and still extended. She rapidly retracted the chain and the axe careened across the arena, slamming into the shadow before it could launch another attack. The shadow was knocked aside and tumbled across the arena floor. Labrys leapt to her feet and attacked immediately with an overhand swing of her axe. The shadow blocked the strike, knocking its sword downward, but Labrys kept her axe in motion. She whipped the weapon around and brought it crashing down on the shadow. The axe cleaved the shadow's head and embedded itself deep in the shadow's torso. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Congratulations, you've killed your friend again." Thanatos taunted. "Please vacate the arena." Labrys walked up the ramp to the others. Eris immediately went to work using her powers to repair the considerable damage the fight had caused.

Aigis hugged Labrys. "I am sorry you had to go through that pain...again." Aigis said. "But I am very glad you are unharmed."

"I'm not sorry." Labrys said. "It was something I was gonna' have to face sometime. The last time my shadow had to intervene because I couldn't handle it. I don't want that to happen again. I was forced to do some terrible things, and the sooner I face it the sooner I can put it behind me."

"Woah, slow down." Jaune said. "You shadow intervened? You were forced to do terrible things? What's that all about?"

"Jaune, I don't think that's something she wants to talk about." Pyrrha scolded him.

"No, it's alright." Labrys said. "If we're workin' together you should know about me. I don't really know where to start though."

"Maybe you should explain your shadow's...condition." Rise suggested.

"Well, I faced my shadow like the others, but when I accepted it, it didn't just go away like it did with them." Labrys explained. "Instead it buried itself in my mind. When I'm under extreme stress, usually when I'm in danger, my shadow can...take over my body."

"That sounds dangerous." Ren said.

"Maybe, I don't really know what it's capable of." Labrys admitted. "So far it's only acted to save my life. I guess it makes sense since if I die it dies too. I should probably tell you about my past now."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Pyrrha said.

"No, I think talking about it is good for me." Labrys said. "Me and Aigis are the only Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons left, but that wasn't the case when I was first created. It was before Aigis was built, and they were still trying to figure out how to get us to develop a Persona. I guess it's like developing a semblance and aura where you're from. Anyway, they figured I was the best candidate. Apparently extreme stress causes a Persona to manifest, so they put me in the most stressful position they could think of. They made me kill my sister units. There was one, Unit 024, that was my friend. They made me fight her...to the death. I killed her with my bare hands."

"That's horrible!" Nora shouted. "What monsters made you do that?!"

"My family's company." Mitsuru said, looking incredibly uneasy. "When my grandfather was in charge, they did terrible, unspeakable, inexcusable things. I've spent my life trying to right those wrongs." There was a stunned silence. The others had no idea what to say. Before them were two friends shouldering intense guilt.

"I'm really sorry I said anything." Jaune said. "It must be hard to just think about it."

"It's alright, really." Labrys said. "It helps to talk about it. Knowing that people understand, even a little, is comforting."

"Mitsuru, you've got to stop feeling so guilty." Akihiko said. "None of it's your fault and you've done a hell of a lot to make it right."

"I guess." Mitsuru sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"

"I'm afraid the topic on my mind isn't any lighter." Yang said. "I'm seeing a pattern with the order of the fights. If it keeps up, Ruby and I are next."

"It's alright Yang, I'm sure we'll be fine." Ruby said. "I'm ready to fight."

"I'm not." Yang said. "Thanatos is going to put something horrible in front of you. Even if it doesn't hurt you physically…"

"Yang, I can take it." Ruby assured her. "After my shadow, there's nothing he can do that would be that painful. We're here to save the world. I don't care what I have to go through, I'm going to do it."

Yang locked Ruby in a vice-like hug. "Oh you're so strong!" Yang exclaimed with tears in her eyes. Ruby squirmed to get free but there was no escape. "I wish I was as strong as you."

"You seem confident." Thanatos said. "I wonder if you can back up those words with actions."

"Just be careful." Yang implored.

"I'll be fine." Ruby said. She descended the ramp to the arena floor. It transformed back into a wall behind her as she awaited her opponent.

"Your shadow was really a masterpiece of psychological torture." Thanatos said. "The same can be said for your life as a whole. Maybe mind games won't affect you, or maybe…"

Black goo rose up from the arena floor and coalesced into humanoid form. The excess flowed away, leaving behind a copy of Torchwick. "Hey Red." The shadow said. "I finally get my chance to kill you."

"That's the best you can come up with?" Ruby asked. "I'm not afraid of him. We beat him already anyway."

"You've never beaten me, not without help at least." The shadow said. "This time there'll be no one like Glynda or Penny to step in to save you."

"I don't know, Torchwick's still pretty lame." Ruby sighed. "No horrors from my past, no deep insecurities on display, I got myself all worked up for nothing."

The shadow lifted its cane and fired an explosive blast at Ruby while she was not paying attention. It was a direct hit. Ruby was blown back and tumbled across the ground. "Maybe you should have prepared for overconfidence." The shadow taunted. The shadow fired again but Ruby was gone by the time the shot arrived. The shadow was unrelenting and fired a series of explosive charges at Ruby as she raced around the arena. Ruby used shots from Crescent Rose in tandem with her semblance to change directions rapidly and unpredictably as she closed the distance.

Ruby's scythe unfolded as she swung at the shadow, the blade narrowly passing over its head as it ducked the attack. The shadow fired at her feet but Ruby jumped and used the force of the blast to propel herself into the air. At the peak of her flight she fired Crescent Rose off-axis, sending her spinning down toward the shadow. The shadow slid aside as her scythe embedded itself in the arena floor. The blade was stuck and Ruby struggled to free it. She fired, hoping it would rip the blade free, but it only jerked Ruby forward along with the rest of the weapon. Seeing its chance the shadow leapt at her and bashed her in the side of the head with its cane. Ruby lost her grip on Crescent Rose as she stumbled, disoriented from the blow. The shadow jumped up and fired down at Ruby. The shot connected and slammed Ruby into the ground.

The shadow approached sporting a cocky smile. "Wow Red, you went down even easier than I was expecting." It said. THe shadow changed its grip on its cane, grabbing it by the muzzle end. It swung the weapon in a high arc, bringing it down at Ruby. In a flurry of rose petals she zipped out of the way, crashing through the shadow's legs in the process. The shadow fell flat on its face and Ruby went on the attack, repeatedly kicking the shadow while it was down. The shadow reached back with its cane and hooked her leg. With a pull Ruby was yanked off of her feet and slammed down awkwardly on her back. "Your kicks are weak." The shadow said as it got to its feet. "You're useless without your weapon."

Ruby got up. She was in a bad position, the shadow between her and Crescent Rose. Even if she could reach it, it was still stuck in the ground. She rushed at the shadow and assailed it with a flurry of punches. The shadow simply shoved her back. She desperately needed her weapon. Without it the shadow could continue to toy with her until it decided to end things. Ruby took a step back then ran toward the shadow. Rather than attacking it she leapt over it, hoping to land near Crescent Rose. The shadow tracked her flight and fired, hitting her mid-air with another explosive blast. She was sent crashing into the arena wall.

The shadow again placed itself between Ruby and Crescent Rose. It reached into its pocket and produced a large red dust crystal. "Catch." The shadow said. It tossed the crystal at Ruby, took aim and fired. Its shot hit the crystal creating a fiery explosion but when the smoke cleared Ruby was gone. The shadow wheeled to the right, tracking her as she ran. It threw another crystal out in front of her and repeated the trick. Ruby skidded to a stop and jumped back, avoiding the explosion. The next was directed straight at her. She dove forward as the crystal exploded just behind her. The pair had turned completely around when the shadow got frustrated. With an angry grunt it tossed five crystals in Ruby's direction. Its shot hit the one in the center and created a chain-reaction that detonated the others.

The blast had a secondary effect. The shadow had lost its spatial awareness. The huge explosion blasted Crescent Rose out of the ground. Ruby dive-rolled over her weapon, picking it up in the process. The shadow was about to throw another crystal, its pockets seemingly bottomless. Ruby took aim and shot the crystal before it left the shadow's hand. The shadow's arm was blown off. Ruby rushed forward, slipped her blade behind the shadow's back and fired. The blade slammed back and sliced the shadow in two. It burst into a cloud of glowing ash and evaporated away.

"You did it, leave the arena." Thanatos said. Any feigned enthusiasm was long gone.

Ruby ascended the ramp to rejoin the others. "That wasn't so bad." Ruby said.

Yang looked terribly worried. "Ruby, you've got no aura left." She said.

"Oh, I guess that one explosion hit me pretty hard." Ruby shrugged.

"You didn't even notice?!" Yang exclaimed. "Ruby, this is dangerous! You could have been hurt, or killed! You need to pay attention to this."

"I'm sorry, I was just really focused on getting Crescent Rose back." Ruby said. "I'll never let you go again." She stroked the weapon lovingly. "The important thing is that I did and I beat the shadow."

"No, the important thing is that you're okay." Yang said. She stepped forward to hug Ruby but Ruby backed up to avoid her crushing embrace.

"You don't have to worry about me so much." Ruby said. "I'm not a little kid anymore.."

"I'm always going to worry about you." Yang said. "It doesn't matter how big you get, you'll always be my little sister. You're more precious to me than anything else."

"Come on, you're embarrassing me in front of everyone." Ruby complained.

"I'm sorry, I just...I care about you so much." Yang sighed.

"We should probably start planning for the next round." Blake suggested.

"We're the only team yet to have a turn, so I guess we're next." Naoto said. "Senpai, who do you think should go first?"

"It's up to you." Yu said.

"I guess I'll go first." Naoto said. "You're a stronger fighter than I am." Weiss handed Naoto the weapon she had used during her stay on Remnant. "Wow, I haven't used this in awhile." With the weapon in its rifle form she lifted it to her shoulder and looked down the sight. She then transformed it into its rapier form and took up a fighting stance. "It's like I never put it down."

"Aren't you worried about what Thanatos will make you fight?" Ruby asked.

"Not really." Naoto replied. "I guess I'm a bit like you. Facing my shadow was about as humiliating an experience as I could possibly have and my life's been something of a horror show. My parents died when I was young and I didn't have any friends until I met these guys. In my capacity as a detective, I've seen some unspeakable things. There just isn't much that would really bother me."

"Wow, we might be the most tragically depressing group ever assembled." Blake observed.

"I think the fact that we've all been able to overcome our hardships is quite uplifting actually." Pyrrha said, trying to be positive even if she did not necessarily believe what she was saying. "We've all faced tremendous adversity and yet we have not allowed it to hold us back."

"Touching." Thanatos said. "It's time for the next fight. Naoto and Yu, choose a combatant."

"You've got this." Yu said.

"I know." Naoto said. She descended the ramp to the arena floor and waited for Thanatos to do his worst. As the mass of swirling shadow material rose from the arena floor her expression went from one of determination to one of contemplation. She had noticed something the others had not. As the excess material fell away the shadow resolved into a copy of Tohru Adachi. "You're slipping Thanatos." Naoto laughed. "This felon doesn't bother me."

"Oh come one now; at least hear me out." The shadow said. "I'm pretty sure I can get under your skin."

"I know how this works." Naoto sighed. "Go ahead and take your shot."

"You may not realize, but the very idea of me really bugs you." The shadow said. "I'm lazy, deceitful and as crooked as they come. Even so, there isn't a police department out there that wouldn't rather have someone like me over you. First off, you literally don't have the balls. I can be one of the boys. Even if you could get the stick out of your ass and learn to be more easy-going, that's something you can never be. And let's face it, you really don't look the part. Dress like a man, cut your hair short, it doesn't matter. As short as you are and with that face of yours, you'll always just seem like a little kid. Then there's your attitude. You can never let anything rest. You can't help but rock the boat. It's annoying for everyone, enough to drive a man insane. It's easier to kick you to the curb."

"If this is the best you've got, it isn't good enough." Naoto said. "I know all of that. I've had plenty of time to worry and feel sorry for myself because I don't fit in. I really don't care at this point."

"Saying that doesn't make it true, but even if it is, there's one more thing." The shadow said. "I might be the only person you actually fear."

"Bullshit." Naoto said. "I'm not afraid of you or the man you represent."

"Oh but you are." The shadow insisted. "No one's ever come so close to killing you, and more than once at that. What's worse is that I was right there in front of you the whole time and you didn't even notice what I was. The legendary couldn't see what was in plain view. That scares you. If you could miss that, what else could you be missing? It's not just about evidence and the cases. How can you really know the person next to you is really who he says he is? How do you know he isn't just waiting for his moment to strike, reveling in the fact that you haven't the slightest idea? Even your friends are suspect. Who says they're really your friends? Maybe they're just using you, or worse. The world's a scary place when there's no one you can trust."

"Fine, I'm big enough to admit to some bouts of paranoia." Naoto said. "Sure, Adachi made me question myself. It doesn't matter. I'm confident in my abilities and there are people I know I can trust. Those people are right behind me."

"It's good that those people are here to see you die." The shadow hissed.


	41. Unseen Horrors

**Author's Note: Merry Christmas! This chapter includes my proofreader's favorite fight. Enjoy!**

Chapter 41

Naoto shouldered her rifle and took aim at the shadow. She fired a series of shots and all of them found their target. The shadow stood still with a confident smirk on its face as the bullets glanced off without leaving a scratch. "You'll have to do better than that." The shadow tauned. It thrust its hand forward, unleashing a blast of wind that knocked Naoto off of her feet. It was more embarrassing than painful and Naoto immediately jumped back to her feet. Naoto concentrated, stretched out her hand and clenched her fist. A black circle appeared beneath the shadow then collapsed in on itself. The shadow was unaffected and went on grinning. Naoto was getting frustrated. She held out her hand and raised it above her head. A white square formed beneath the shadow and collapsed in a blinding flash of white light.

When the light faded the shadow remained. It laughed. Naoto converted her weapon into its sword form and charged at the shadow. She stabbed for its heart but is side-stepped and Naoto slid past it. It smacked her in the back of the head with the butt of its revolver. Naoto spun around with her blade outstretched. The shadow stepped in close, grabbed her arm, and twisted until she dropped the weapon. The shadow kicked the sword away and wrenched Naoto around until it was able to press the barrel of its revolver to her head.

Before the shadow could pull the trigger flames erupted all around the pair. The shadow stumbled away, beating at the flames. Naoto stood where she had, engulfed but unharmed. Growling with rage, the shadow reached out its hand toward Naoto. Electricity flew from its fingertips and into her. She convulsed as the current coursed through her but was able to launch a fireball that forced the shadow to cease its attack in order to dive-roll out of the way. The shadow kept in motion and ran straight at her. Naoto tried to avoid the attack but the shadow swept her legs out from under her with its own. She slammed down hard on her back and the shadow aimed its revolver at her face.

Naoto closed her eyes and clenched her fists. A spectral shield surrounded Naoto just before the shadow emptied its weapon at her. Naoto thrust both hands at the shadow, firing a powerful gust of wind that struck it in the chest. The shadow was lifted off the ground and flung across the arena, landing with a thud before bouncing into the retaining wall. Naoto had a moment to regroup. She stood, grabbed her sword and with all her might jammed it into the ground. She stood behind the weapon and waited for the shadow's response.

"You little bitch, I'll kill you!" The shadow screamed. It reached out with both hands and electricity arced across the arena toward Naoto. She stood silent and still, trusting in her plan. The electricity hit her sword which acted like a lightning rod and channeled all the energy harmlessly into the ground. She took a deep breath and with swipes of her hands, launched a series of fireballs at the shadow. The first few hit home but then the shadow thrust its hands forward, unleashing a continuous blast of wind that pushed the fireballs away.

The shadow's attack continued on toward Naoto. She braced herself as the gale struck her. Naoto managed to stay on her feet but she began slowly sliding back and away from her protective lightning rod. Now she reached out her arm and created an opposing blast of wind. The attacks swirled together, sucking stone chips and dirt off of the arena floor and into a tornado. With her other hand Naoto unleashed a stream of fire into the cyclone and increased the power of the wind she produced. The flaming tempest began to tilt and move, heading for the shadow. The firestorm engulfed the shadow and its attacks ceased as it screamed in pain. Naoto was now in total control and used the wind to intensify the heat until the shadow was incinerated. What little remained burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Very clever detective." Thanatos said. There was something different about Thanatos, something in his facial expression. Could he be worried? "Leave the arena."

Naoto wrenched her sword out of the floor and headed up the ramp. She had an uncharacteristic smile on her face. "What is it?" Yu asked.

"I noticed something." Naoto declared. There was an excitement in her voice that had not been present previously.

"What?" Weiss asked.

"He's definitely doing something to us when we're in there." Naoto said. "As he summoned the shadow, I could feel it. It was strange, hard to describe, but I felt it for sure."

"Why didn't the rest of us notice anything?" Akihiko asked.

"It was subtle." Naoto explained. "It could easily get lost in any feelings of anxiety, or in your case, excitement. I went in without those feelings. I was sure I could handle whatever I faced, not worried about anything my shadow would say, and last I was not eager to fight in the slightest. Any sensation would have to be caused by Thanatos."

"So what do you think it means?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's too early to say." Naoto replied. "If he's draining our power, he's taking a hardly noticeable fraction. I certainly did not feel weaker, but he definitely did something. Perhaps if the rest of you focus on it we can make some sense of it."

"I'll see if I notice anything." Mitsuru said.

"Labrys, is there any way your systems could have measured and recorded any anomalies?" Naoto asked.

"Maybe, but we'd need special equipment to access the data." Labrys answered. "My mind isn't so different from a person's. If I don't notice something as it happens I don't consciously remember it."

"As it may help to create a clearer picture of the situation, I will be particularly cognizant of any anomalous sensations." Aigis said. "Perhaps I will be able to shed some light on the nature of Thanatos' power."

"That move with your sword, that was very clever." Yang said, changing the subject. "How did you come up with that?"

"Well, my weapon wasn't doing me any good." Naoto said. "Since the only attack in his repertoire I really had to fear was electricity, I thought I would attempt to neutralize it."

"How did you know it would work?" Jaune asked.

"I didn't." Naoto admitted. "I would have had much more trouble if it hadn't. I also wouldn't count on it working again. Thanatos may alter the nature of the arena to prevent future success. He's still in complete control."

"We need to do something to take the initiative." Blake suggested. "Unfortunately I don't have any ideas."

"Until we know more we may be forced to be reactive." Naoto said. "I'm hoping that with more fights I'll be able to gather more information. Then maybe we can turn things around."

"If he maintains the current pattern, I'll be next." Ren said. "I'll collect as much data as I can."

"So what do you think your shadow will be?" Yosuke asked.

Ren shrugged. "There isn't anything that really concerns me." He said. "He may just have to summon a powerful enemy rather than playing mind games."

"Are you sure there's nothing?" Rise pressed. "We were pretty confident but he came up with stuff for us."

"Nothing he tries will faze me." Ren declared. "Whatever his phantoms may say, they remain just that, phantoms."

"The first round is complete and astonishingly, you have all survived." Thanatos announced. "We shall see just how long your luck holds. The second round will begin immediately. Lie Ren, enter the arena."

Ren descended the ramp into the arena. He walked to a spot near the center and sat down cross-legged. He maintained rigid posture but his face appeared placid. A few moments passed as nothing happened. Finally, Ren spoke. "Go on." He said. "Summon your shadow."

Thanatos appeared to be taken aback. "You have no fear, not the slightest anxiety." He observed. "Given what you have faced in life, I am not surprised." Thanatos' eyes narrowed as a smile crept across his face. "But everyone must fear something. Perhaps you fear the loss of those you love."

"I have lost many loved ones." Ren said. "The pain was great but fleeting. I endure."

"Would you be so callous about Nora?" Thanatos asked.

"If you wish you may summon a copy." Ren replied. "I will not harm Nora, but it would not be Nora. Give me an opponent, your games do not concern me."

Thanatos looked to be growing frustrated with Ren's serenity. It seemed the mind games had been flipped. "There is one thing all men fear." Thanatos said. "Unseen horrors cause greater dread than those right in front of you."

Black sludge rose up from the arena floor and resolved into humanoid form. Ren smiled. He had felt what Naoto had. Ren stood and faced the forming shadow. Excess material fell away to reveal...nothing. Ren stood in silence for a moment then with a jerk of his arms his guns slid out of his sleeves and into his hands. He aimed at the spot where the shadow material had piled up and fired a short burst. His bullets struck something invisible, deformed and fell to the ground. There were footsteps. He fired another burst. The invisible obstruction was now closer. A series of loud and rapid footfalls resounded. Ren turned in an attempt to follow the sound.

The invisible shadow lifted him off the ground. Ren thrashed, trying to come to grips with his unseen attacker, but it threw him across the arena. He landed on his side, tumbled across the floor, and rolled to his feet. Aiming back toward the spot from which he had been thrown, he fired. His bullets whizzed across the arena and slammed into the far wall. He stood still and closed his eyes, straining his ears to listen for any sounds the shadow might make.

Ren heard something, turned and fired. His shots went just wide and the shadow was upon him. It knocked his arms aside and struck him in the side of the head. Ren wobbled but caught himself and whipped his arms back. Swinging them blade-first, he stabbed his twin weapons into the unseen shadow. It groaned and twisted away. Ren tried to press the attack but the shadow had gone. There was no sound. He and the shadow stood still, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

Ren fired wildly at the ground, emptying his guns into the stone floor. Stone chips and dirt flew up and created a small cloud. It was enough to silhouette the shadow. Ren fired, charged forward and sunk his blades into the shadow's sides. It roared, grabbed him by the sides of the head, and headbutted him. Ren stumbled back and the shadow leapt at him. In such close combat the shadow lost its advantage. Ren lifted his knees to throw the shadow off, flipped over and stabbed at it. The shadow rolled out of the way and just like that was gone again.

The skirmish left Ren in the center of the arena with no idea where the shadow was. He took a deep breath, focused his aura, and slammed his palms into the ground. The stone all around him shattered, forming a shallow crater several meters across. The shadow approached but the sound of the stone chips crunching beneath its feet alerted Ren. He could see the bits of stone moved as the shadow stepped. Locked in on the shadow's location he fired his guns, the bullets stopping suddenly as they collided with the invisible shadow. Ren charged, stabbing one blade into the shadow's shoulder and missing with the other. The shadow grabbed him by the arms, spun around, and tossed him across the arena. Ren smashed into the retaining wall hard enough to crack it.

Ren's aura was depleted. He stood with his back to the wall. At least the shadow would not be able to sneak up behind him. Then he had an idea. He put one weapon away and stabbed the other into his free palm, missing any important anatomy but creating a deep bloody gash. He heard the shadow charge and dove aside. It slammed into the retaining wall and gave away its position. Ren lunged at it and smeared his bloody hand across its back from the base of its neck to its lower back. The shadow spun around and struck him in the face with its forearm but Ren had done what he had intended to do.

Ren retreated, his blood clearly marking the shadow's location. The shadow charged. Ren could now identify critical points of its anatomy thanks to the markings. He slid aside and hooked his blade into the shadow's chin. He dragged it to the ground, redrew his other weapon and sliced through the shadow's throat. It burst into a cloud of very visible glowing ash that evaporated away. "Only cowards fear what they cannot see." Ren declared.

"Indeed." Thanatos said with a contemplative look on his face. "Leave the arena." Perhaps Thanatos had underestimated Ren. Perhaps he admired Ren's resourcefulness. More likely he was pondering how next to torture the group.

Ren ascended the ramp to rejoin the others. He immediately headed for Naoto. "I felt it too." He said. "He's using us for something. As you said, I did not feel noticeably weaker."

"Is there anything else you can add?" Naoto asked. "Maybe something more specific?"

"No." Ren replied.

"Ren your hand!" Nora yelled as she ran up to him. She held his arm by the wrist, holding out his bloody hand. She had a look of deep concern on her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Ren assured her. "My aura will heal it in no time."

"Are you sure?" Nora pressed. "It looks really bad."

Ren placed his other hand on Nora's shoulder. "I'm sure." He said. "It doesn't even hurt."

"If you say so." Nora relented. Her look of concern was replaced by an almost manic smile. "That was so cool! You couldn't even see that thing and you still beat it! You're awesome!"

"That was quite clever." Weiss said. "Creating a cloud, breaking the ground, even using your own blood to see the shadow."

"That must have been a really tough fight." Akihiko added. "Half of fighting is reacting to your opponent. Without that, man…"

"Once I was able to get to grips with the shadow it wasn't that strong." Ren said. "If it had been visible I would have destroyed it straight away."

"It's interesting that you should say that." Naoto said. "Once again it seems the shadows are very balanced vis-a-vis their opponents. I'm forming a theory, but I'm not ready to commit to it yet."

"Care to give us a preview?" Blake asked.

"I don't think Thanatos is generating the shadows entirely with his own power." Naoto theorized. "I don't think they're made from scratch either. I think they're at least partially made from us. That would explain why they're very similar. Unfortunately, if that were the case I would expect the process to significantly drain our own powers. That does not seem to have happened."

"I think you're on the right track." Yu encouraged her. "You'll figure it out."

"Mitsuru, what is wrong?" Aigis asked. Mitsuru did not reply. "Mitsuru, please, I am worried about you."

"I should be fighting next." Mitsuru said. She considered leaving it at that but knew her friends would not allow it. "I'm a bit concerned about what Thanatos has in store for me."

"Come on Mitsuru, you're as tough as they come." Akihiko said. "There's nothing he could do to bother you."

"I fear you're quite wrong." Mitsuru said. "Many burdens prey on my mind. I'm sure I can handle whatever Thanatos decides to use, but that doesn't mean it won't be painful. There are many things I would rather not face, but I suppose the time has come."

"If it helps I don't blame you for what happened to me and my sisters." Labrys said. "Whatever your company did before you came along, that's not your fault."

"It's nice of you to say but I've spent my life atoning for the wrongs committed by my forebears." Mitsuru sighed. "I anticipate spending what is left doing the same. Even if those wrongs were not my direct responsibility, as head of the Kirijo Group that burden is mine to bear."

"You can't keep beating yourself up for what your family's done." Weiss said. "I know from experience. All you can do is not repeat those same wrongs. You're your own person. You're not defined by a name."

"Trust her, she knows what she's talking about." Blake added.

"You may be right but I still have my share of sins." Mitsuru said.

"You certainly do." Thanatos cut in. "It's time for your match. You can worry about atonement if you survive."

Mitsuru took a deep breath and descended the ramp to the arena floor. As usual, since the last match the damage had been repaired. Faced with a fight, Mitsuru stopped moping. She drew her rapier and grinned, brimming with confidence. "Thanatos, do your worst." She said.

"Don't you worry." Thanatos said. He looked almost excited. It was deeply troubling. "I've got something special for you."

Swirling black sludge rose up from the arena floor, piling up upon itself. It resolved into humanoid form and as the excess fell away it revealed a young woman in a pink jacket and short black skirt holding a bow. "Yukari." Mitsuru gasped. With all she and Yukari had been through, the way their paths intertwined, she knew the mind games would be strong and painful.


	42. Ice Queens

Chapter 42

Forget the potential for a physical beating. Mitsuru knew she was in for one hell of an emotional one and decided to preempt it. She charged straight at the shadow before it could say a word. Just before reaching it she slammed into an invisible barrier, bounced off and fell on her back. "I don't think so." Thanatos taunted. "The shadow has something to say and you're going to listen."

Her facade of confidence shattered, Mitsuru stood and waited for the shadow to speak. "Just get it over with!" She growled.

"Anything for you Senpai." The shadow said, its words dripping with sarcasm. "How have you been? Still crusading? Still burdening innocents with your shame? You have the nerve to call them friends. You claim to be righting the wrongs of your family's past but you just add to them."

"I've been carrying on by myself thank you." Mitsuru said.

"By yourself?" The shadow said. "I see three others you dragged here. Are they so insignificant that you don't even consider them? That's hardly surprising coming from you. Just look what you did to me, without the slightest worry. First your family destroyed mine, made my life a living hell, then you put a gun in my hand and made me fight monsters."

"Yukari volunteered." Mitsuru protested. "I was trying to make things right."

"By keeping secrets and putting my life in danger?" The shadow countered. "It seems to me like you were trying to tie up loose ends. Maybe you were always just looking for people to use. You're very good at that, using people. You drove Shinjiro to his grave. You sent a 10 year old into combat. Makoto's dead because of you."

"We saved the world." Mitsuru said. "I did what I had to."

"The world wouldn't have been in danger if not for you." The shadow said. "None of it was necessary. Then you got the notion that you were helping into your head and every step pushed us closer to the brink. So many lives destroyed, for nothing! You're are your grandfather's granddaughter. At least he didn't have the chutzpah to pretend he was anything other than a monster. You greet your 'friends' with a smile then force them straight into danger. Hasn't your family done enough damage?"

"Just stop it!" Mitsuru demanded. "I don't force anyone to do anything. We fight together to make the world a better place. I share every danger they do. I would never ask them to do anything against their will, and I certainly wouldn't just throw their lives away."

"And yet here you are." The shadow said. "You're all going to die here, and it's all your fault."

Mitsuru sighed. "Are you done?" She asked.

"I'm done." The shadow said. "Now it's time for you to die." The shadow drew three arrows from its quiver, nocked them and drew the bow. With a wicked smile the shadow released the bowstring and the deadly projectiles sailed through the air toward Mitsuru.

Mitsuru lifted her left arm in front of her and a shield made of ice crystalized around it. The arrows embedded themselves in the shield as Mitsuru stomped toward the shadow. She was angry and intent on taking out that anger on the shadow. She swung her arm to the side and the shield slid off, shattering on the ground beside her. The shadow drew and fired another arrow. Mitsuru used another ice shield to catch it too but something was different this time. This arrow was beeping. It exploded, slamming Mitsuru down on her back. Her arm hurt badly but appeared undamaged. Like Akihiko she was now convinced on the whole aura thing.

Mitsuru jumped to her feet just in time for an arrow to whiz past her head. The shadow smiled and laughed. It drew three more arrows and fired. Worried bombs may be among the latest volley, she created a wall of ice between them with a wave of her hand. The arrows slammed into the wall and stuck. One exploded, blasting a small chunk out of the barrier. No longer having things its own way, the shadow stopped smiling. Mitsuru patched the wall as the shadow prepared to fire again. It let loose its arrows but did not stop there. It thrust its arms forward and a blast of wind propelled the arrows. With the powerful tailwind the arrows easily sliced through the ice. Mitsuru hastily attempted to dodge. She managed to avoid one arrow and deflect another with her sword. The third hit her in the chest and splintered on her aura.

The shadow fired another wind-accelerated salvo. Mitsuru ran forward toward her ice wall. As the arrows made contact she vaulted over it, letting the arrows pass harmlessly. She continued running straight at the shadow. The shadow tried to move but a wave of Mitsuru's hand encased the shadow's foot in ice and locked it in place. Mitsuru stabbed forward with all her might. The shadow bent over backwards to dodge the attack, snared Mitsuru's blade with its bow and then with a twist sent Mitsuru flipping forward. Mitsuru landed on her shoulder, and lost her grip on her weapon. The shadow stabbed at her with an arrow and Mitsuru rolled over onto her stomach and out of the way. She reached for her sword but the shadow pushed it away with a blast of wind. Mitsuru got to her knees and lunged forward into the shadow, knocking it off its feet. She sprung up and encased the shadow in ice. As the shadow struggled to free itself, Mitsuru rushed for her sword.

Mitsuru reached her sword, picked it up without stopping and kept moving. The shadow broke free of its frozen bonds and began to fire arrows at Mitsuru as she ran. Even with wind powering and adjusting the flight of its arrows, the shadow was unable to hit its target. Mitsuru circled around, slowly closing in on the shadow. She was not going to repeat her mistake by being overly aggressive. She again locked the shadow's feet in place with ice but this time did not charge. The shadow lifted its bow to fire but Mitsuru froze its arms in place. As it struggled to break free Mitsuru increased her onslaught until she had entirely encased the shadow. Now was her moment and Mitsuru charged. Just before reaching the shadow an explosion showered her with ice chips.

At the cost of absorbing the force of the explosion the shadow had freed itself. Mitsuru hesitated. The shadow did not miss the opportunity and hit her with a powerful blast of wind. Mitsuru sailed across the arena and slammed into the retaining wall. She fell to the floor on her stomach and did not get up. The shadow walked over with a confident smile. "The last Kirijo falls here." The shadow hissed. Standing over Mitsuru it drew back and arrow, aiming for Mitsuru's head.

"Not a chance!" Mitsuru yelled. She rolled over and blasted the shadow with ice. In seconds the surprised shadow was encased again. Mitsuru stood before it. She took a deep breath and kicked it with all her strength. The shadow shattered into innumerable pieces that clattered across the arena floor. The pieces burst into glowing ash that evaporated away.

"A cold heart wielding ice." Thanatos sneered. "You've won."

Mitsuru ascended the ramp to rejoin the others. "My expectations were shattered." Yang laughed. Mitsuru drew her blade and held it to Yang's throat. "Uh...was it something I said?"

"Calm down." Akihiko said, grabbing Mitsuru by the arm to pull her weapon away. "Sorry, she really doesn't like puns."

"Why?" Yang asked. "Puns are the best!"

"The asshole who tricked us into almost causing the end of the world told puns all the time." Akihiko explained. "They still make her a little touchy."

"Sho, the guy who started the incident with Labrys, is big on puns too." Rise explained.

"I apologize." Mitsuru said. "I'm still worked up after the fight. That shadow was...unpleasant."

"When you've had as many guns pointed at you as I have, having a blade at your throat isn't that big a deal." Yang laughed. "I'll try to control myself with the puns."

"So, did you notice anything important?" Naoto asked.

"I certainly felt something as the shadow was being created." Mitsuru replied. "I can't really explain it. It felt a bit like something was being pulled out of me, but it wasn't painful. I didn't feel any weaker either. I'm sorry, if I'd been able to keep my emotions in check more effectively I may have noticed more."

"Don't worry about it." Blake said. "Until Naoto had her turn, none of us noticed anything. Besides, we did learn something. Thanatos is willing to change the rules on the fly. He wouldn't let you fight until the shadow had an opportunity to speak."

"Yes, about my shadow…" Mitsuru trailed off. With a huff she turned to Akihiko, Aigis and Labrys. "I'm sorry for putting you all in danger."

"Would you cut it out?" Akihiko said. "Quit apologizing for stuff you don't need to apologize for. We're not here because you made us. We're here because we want to be."

"Still, I've been selfish and done a lot of damage." Mitsuru said.

"You were just attempting to do what you thought was best." Aigis said. "You cannot be blamed for making an honest attempt at doing what is right."

"And don't let that shadow make you think you're like your grandfather." Labrys added. "You're nothing like him. You're a good person and a good friend."

"Thank you all." Mitsuru said. "It really means a lot to hear that."

"We're here for you no matter what." Akihiko said. "And we know you're here for us." He paused and turned to the others. "So, who's fighting next?"

"I think that's me." Weiss said.

"Worried?" Rise asked.

"A little." Weiss admitted. "My family has a sordid history too. I guess I'm a bit like you Mitsuru, trying to right my family's wrongs. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm in for but my shadow said pretty much all of it the last time. Truth be told, I'm actually more concerned about the fight itself. Historically I've been hit-or-miss. I'm probably better supporting someone else than fighting on my own. I'm not great at taking hits."

"You're a great fighter!" Ruby encouraged her. "I'm sure you'll do great."

"You'll be fine." Blake added. "You're more than capable of defeating any opponent."

"Weiss Schnee, it's time." Thanatos announced. "Enter the arena."

Weiss walked down the ramp to the arena floor. She immediately took up her stance, breathing in a calm and metered manner that benefitted concentration and relaxation. She would be ready. A mass of black liquid rose from the arena floor and began to pile on top of itself. It resolved into the form of a very tall masked man wielding a gigantic chainsaw. It was the White Fang lieutenant Weiss had fought aboard the train. That fight had gone exceptionally poorly. "Wonderful." Weiss grumbled under her breath.

"He was so excited by his chance to kill a Schnee the first time." Thanatos said. "How could I not give him a second chance?"

"This time your traitorous friend can't save you." The shadow growled. "I'll strike a blow for every Faunus. Every Schnee killed is one step closer to justice."

"You do realize that unlike my father I actually recognize that the Faunus are treated unfairly?" Weiss questioned. "I'm not an enemy."

"Funny, your actions lead to the deaths of many of my comrades in those tunnels." The shadow said. "That sounds like an enemy to me."

"Give me a break." Weiss said. "They were trying to kill people, innocent people. I don't care if you're a Faunus or not, I can't let that happen."

"You talk about your sympathy for the Faunus and how much you want to change things, but I know how you really feel." The shadow said. "You fear the Faunus. You hate the Faunus. How could you not after all they did to your family? You can't even trust your own teammate. No matter what she does, no matter how much she helps you, you can't help but keep an eye on her. She's probably just waiting for you to let your guard down so she can stab you in the back."

"That was once true." Weiss admitted. "But now I would trust Blake with my life and I'd put my own on the line to save hers, even knowing about her past."

"But do you really know about her past?" The shadow asked. "If you knew the whole truth you might change your mind. It doesn't really matter though. As a Schnee you'll eventually join your father in oppressing the Faunus, Blake included. It's not all your fault, you're just born evil."

"I'm different." Weiss seethed. "I am nothing like my father!"

"You might have a point." The shadow said. "He is alive." The shadow revved its colossal chainsaw and ran at Weiss.

Weiss waited as the shadow approached. As it swung its weapon around she crouched and leapt over its head, landing behind it. Weiss had intended to attack the shadow's back but it continued its rotation, quickly swinging its chainsaw around. Weiss backflipped away as the weapon whipped past, continuing in an acrobatic series of flips and tumbles until she was several meters clear of her opponent. She cycled Myrtenaster and with a whipping motion lanced a line of fire at the shadow. The line of flames slammed into the shadow and erupted in a massive fireball.

The shadow stomped out of the smoke and flames, parts of its clothing still on fire. It produced a disturbing laugh as it inexorably advanced toward Weiss. She created a glyph just below the shadow. With incredible speed it jumped back as a column of ice shot out of the ground. It grunted and swung its weapon, shattering the thick ice column as easily as if it were made of tissue paper. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and fired a series of icy projectiles at the shadow. The missiles impacted the shadow and burst, but still it kept advancing.

The shadow lunged forward and swung its chainsaw. Weiss was not expecting the attack. The weapon struck her in the stomach and sent her flying into the nearby wall. She glanced off the wall at an oblique angle and rolled across the floor. Using her sword as a crutch Weiss pushed herself back to her feet. The shadow was already upon her. It grabbed her by the throat and slammed her back to the ground. The shadow swung its chainsaw around and over its head and brought it crashing down. Weiss rolled out of the way, planted a foot and threw herself toward the shadow. She crashed into the shadow's leg. Already off balance from its missed attack, the shadow tripped and fell on its face.

Weiss jumped to her feet and began furiously slashing at the shadow's back with her sword. Her attacks had no discernable effect. The shadow flipped over, whipping its weapon around. It connected with the side of Weiss' head hard enough that she flipped over completely before crashing to the floor on her side. She groggily rolled onto her back just as the shadow brought its chainsaw down. Weiss lifted Myrtenaster and managed to catch the strike. A battle of strength ensued as the shadow tried to force its whirring blade down onto the heiress as she struggled to resist. It was not a fight Weiss could win and she knew it.

The blade slowly descended until it was only inches from Weiss' face. Weiss kicked the shadow in the groin. It did not react, only pressing harder. Weiss tried to twist her face away from the blade but still the shadow persisted. A glyph appeared below the shadow. A column of ice shot up and sent the shadow sailing high into the air. The shadow was unable to adjust itself in the air and slammed down on its face. Weiss took the opportunity to retreat, putting as much distance between her and the shadow as she could. Being forced into close quarters was what had almost gotten her killed aboard the train and again just moments before.

The shadow roared with anger as it stood. "You're dead Schnee!" It screamed. "You're only delaying the inevitable!"

Weiss waved her hand toward the shadow and a series of glyphs appeared around it. A moment later a torrent of ice projectiles erupted from the glyphs and bombarded the shadow. The shadow struggled to shield itself from the onslaught. It tried to move but the glyphs moved with it. Weiss saw her moment. She skidded forward on a line of glyphs, heading straight for the shadow. As Weiss focused her energy the ice attacks abated. The shadow turned to face Weiss but was too late. She slammed into the shadow, her blade plunging into the shadow's chest and bursting out its back. Momentum carried the pair all the way to the wall that surrounded the arena. The shadow smashed into the wall hard enough to crack it. Weiss drew her blade back and out of its chest. The shadow crumpled to the floor but Weiss was not satisfied. She thrust Myrtenaster's blade into the shadow's neck and with a violent twist severed its head. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Looks like you were the one to get your revenge." Thanatos said. "Exit the arena."

Weiss walked up the ramp to rejoin the others. She was exhausted as a result of the extended use of her semblance. She immediately sat on one of the benches and struggled to catch her breath. Yang walked up to her with a big smile. "Please don't." Weiss said.

"Revenge, a dish best served…" Yang looked around to make sure Mitsuru was not nearby. "...cold. Eh? Eh? Cold? Come on."

Blake covered her face with her hand and Weiss rolled her eyes. "You've got to stop." Weiss said. Yang shrugged and walked off, feeling very good about her joke.


	43. Parmenion

Chapter 43

"Are you alright?" Blake asked. "You took quite a beating."

"That shadow hit just as hard as the real thing." Weiss said. "But I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired."

"It must have been tough, hearing what that shadow said." Blake said. "You shouldn't let it get to you. I know you're not like your father. I know you've changed."

"Well, that makes one of us." Weiss sighed. "If that's the thing that bothers me most, what does that say about me? I fear a Faunus in a mask."

"No, you fear a chainsaw wielding maniac who almost killed you." Blake corrected her. "I'd say that's more than rational."

"Blake's right, we know you're not a horrible racist." Ruby said. "Dwelling on this is just what Thanatos wants you to do. Cheer up! You won your fight."

"I guess you're right." Weiss said. "I really put that shadow on ice."

Blake audibly groaned at the terrible joke. "That was really bad." She said. "Worse than Yang."

"At least I'm still trying." Weiss protested.

"Maybe comedy isn't for you." Ruby said, being as charitable as possible.

"So did you learn anything?" Naoto asked.

"I felt something at the beginning." Weiss said. "I don't know how to describe it though. Sorry I can't be more helpful."

"I'm beginning to think I may be wrong about Thanatos using us to power the shadows." Naoto said. "They certainly have some connection to us though. I just wish I had more evidence to work from. This is so frustrating."

"Maybe figuring it out isn't important." Pyrrha suggested. "Even were we to discover exactly what's going on, where the shadows are from and what Thanatos is really planning, there really isn't much we can do about it. Until our situation changes, we have to play by Thanatos' rules. If we focus too much on those questions we may find ourselves ill prepared to fight."

"You have a point." Naoto said. "We are boxed in at the moment. It's also possible that we may be missing important clues because we're focusing our attention in the wrong place. We should take care to keep an open mind."

"I'll see if I notice anything." Yosuke said. "If the pattern keeps going I'm up next."

"Worried?" Ren asked.

"A bit." Yosuke admitted. "I'm not worried about the shadow saying anything I haven't heard already. I've done the whole shadow thing before. The thing is Yu's the only one who's actually seen my shadow, well, aside from Teddie. I don't like the idea of everyone else being let in on the show."

"If it makes things easier I could just tell them." Yu offered.

"No!" Yosuke shouted. He pressed his hand over Yu's mouth. "There's no need to tell them anything. Wouldn't want to give away any embarrassing secrets unless we have to." Yosuke preferred to have the others think his shadow was embarrassing. In truth he was ashamed.

"You've changed a lot since we met." Yu said. "I don't think the old things your shadow said even apply anymore."

"I guess I'm not quite as much of a jerk as I used to be." Yosuke said. "That doesn't mean this shadow won't bring up old stuff. Man, why do the shadows have to be like this? Can't they just embarrass us by showing old baby pictures or something? Oh well, at least I kind of know what to expect."

"After what Naoto and I had to go through with our shadows, you have some nerve complaining." Rise grumbled. "Everybody got to see ours too."

"Don't get me wrong." Yosuke said. "I'm grateful my shadow didn't try to get naked in front of everyone or give me a sex change." Rise and Naoto looked at Yosuke angrily. "Okay, I probably said too much." He gave an uneasy laugh as the girls stared daggers at him.

"What happened with your shadows?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha elbowed him in the ribs.

"Yosuke Hanamura, your time has come." Thanatos announced. "Enter the arena."

"Good, I feel like I'll be safer in there right now." Yosuke said.

Rise turned to Naoto. "If the shadow doesn't kill him I will." She growled. Naoto nodded in agreement.

Yosuke descended the ramp to the arena floor. "So, what do you have for me?" He asked. "Will it be a copy of Saki telling me what a loser I am? Maybe someone talking about how all I care about is having a good time."

The shadow material swelled up from the arena floor and piled on top of itself. Excess liquid fell away leaving behind a very recognizable figure. It was Yu. "Hey partner." The shadow sneered.

Yosuke's air of confidence fell away instantly. "Oh, great." He sighed.

"You know where this is going, don't you?" The shadow asked. "I'm going to tell everyone how you really feel about me. I wonder if they'll still be your friends after that."

"Just get it over with." Yosuke said.

"You're so jealous." The shadow said. "Where to begin? There's so much! I'm the fearless leader, the hero. Everyone turns to me when they need help. You barely qualify as comic relief. You're just a sidekick. No one cares about the sidekick. You're just a loser too lame to be a hero in your own right."

"You're not wrong." Yosuke admitted. "I did beat Yu in the first tournament though."

"But there's more." The shadow continued. "Oh how the ladies flock to me! I can have any woman I want. And I do. You can't get any action at all. You're just a lonely loser. You're pathetic. No matter how hard you try you can't even get them to notice you. All I have to do is show up. I barely have to say a word and I have them eating out of the palm of my hand."

"You're not kidding." Yosuke said. "Yu sure does attract the ladies. It's impressive really. Sure, I'm a little jealous but I really just admire his skills."

"I'm not done." The shadow said. "Compared to me, you're a moron. My grades are perfect and I was accepted into every university I applied to. You didn't make it into one. I'm blessed with the looks, the smarts and the skills. I'm every bit your superior. It makes you feel like a failure, mostly because you are."

"I sure do suck." Yosuke said with a big grin. If the shadow was getting to him he did not show it. "So, is that all?"

"My words may not have hit home, but my blade will." The shadow said. It drew a katana just like the one Yu used on earth. Somehow the weapon looked more menacing in the shadow's hands.

Yosuke slapped his twin blades together and they merged into a submachine gun. He squeezed the trigger and unleashed a wild spray of lead. He had not gotten any better at controlling the recoil than the last time he had visited Remnant. The shadow just laughed. The bullets had either missed or done no damage at all. It reached out its hand and electricity leapt from its fingertips. Yosuke dove aside and thrust both hands forward as he fell, unleashing a blast of wind. Just before being hit by Yosuke's attack, the shadow adjusted its own. Both combatants were hit. Yosuke writhed on the ground for a moment and the shadow was knocked flat on its back.

Both stumbled to their feet. Facing off again they launched a second round of the same attacks. Both hit home and had the same result, though both stayed down longer this time around. Yosuke managed to stand but had difficulty maintaining his balance. The shadow used its sword as a crutch and forced itself up. For a moment they just stared at each other. They already looked tired. Yosuke clipped his weapon to his belt and unleashed another blast of wind. The shadow thrust both hands forward and launched arcs of electricity. The attacks connected and both combatants went down hard. Each was weak to the other's attack and exchanging blows was getting them nowhere.

The shadow sat up and struggled to catch its breath. Yosuke got to all fours and did the same. "This is stupid." Yosuke said. "We're just wasting time. If we keep this up neither of us will ever win. Why don't we settle this like men? Hey Thanatos, you control this world. Turn off our powers and and we'll fight with blades."

"I can't resist a good duel, and thus far your match has been quite boring." Thanatos said. "I accept your proposal. It's done."

As if to challenge the veracity of Thanatos' claim the shadow reached out its hand toward Yosuke, intending to deliver another shock. Nothing happened. Yosuke shrugged and tried to produce a blast of wind. Nothing happened. Yosuke took a deep breath and stood. The shadow pushed itself up using its sword. As the combatants approached the center of the arena Yosuke separated his gun back into twin blades. They were far shorter than the shadow's sword, but allowed him more flexibility.

The shadow charged, blade held over its head. Yosuke lifted his blades in an 'X' and blocked the strike, catching the shadow's sword. He kicked the shadow in the stomach and lunged forward, stabbing with one blade while pushing the sword away with the other. The shadow leapt back and the attack fell short. It swung its sword at Yosuke from the side. He deflected the strike up and over his head and slashed at the shadow's throat. Yosuke's attack missed but left him close to the shadow. He elbowed the shadow in the head then slashed both blades at it horizontally. The shadow bent over backwards and swung its sword back across, forcing Yosuke to jump away.

Without halting its blade the shadow swung its sword over its head and brought it down at Yosuke. He again made an 'X' with his blades to catch the weapon. The shadow headbutted Yosuke, causing him to stumble back. He jumped aside as the shadow brought its blade crashing down, just missing him. Yosuke swung his blade at the shadow's outstretched arms, but the shadow adjusted and deflected the attack. Yosuke slipped off balance and the shadow cut at him with a horizontal strike. The blade just grazed his arm, enough to draw blood but not enough to do serious damage. Yosuke whipped his blade back and up. It cut a gash across the shadow's face that oozed viscous black liquid.

Both combatants jumped back and out of each other's range. They were both breathing heavily, exhausted by the demanding fight. One way or another it would have to end soon. Yosuke was determined to end it in one last clash. He rushed forward and the shadow did the same. The shadow again set up for an overhead strike but this time Yosuke was not content to be defensive. With one blade he stabbed forward, lifting the other to block. His right blade sank deep into the shadow's abdomen. A shower of sparks accompanied the metallic clash as Yosuke's left blade met the shadow's sword.

Yosuke's blade clattered to the floor, accompanied by for dim thuds. He had gotten the angle of the block wrong. The shadow's sword had slid down his blade, and since it had no guard, cut across the grip, severing Yosuke's fingers. He looked in shock at the bloody digits that lay on the ground. The shadow looked at him with a confident smirk. He tried to draw his other blade out of the shadow's stomach but found it much more difficult to get out than in. With a twirl of its blade the shadow severed Yosuke's other hand, slicing through his forearm as if it were wax.

Yosuke stumbled back, staring in disbelief and horror at his mutilated limbs. The shadow pulled the blade out of its abdomen, unleashing a torrent of black ooze. It tossed the blade aside and turned its attention back to Yosuke. He kept backing away. There was nothing else for him to do. "This can't be happening!" Yosuke cried.

"It'll all be over soon, partner." The shadow sneered. It swung its sword horizontally, the tip catching Yosuke's neck. Blood sprayed from Yosuke's throat as he clutched at it with what remained of his arms. He emitted a gurgling sound as he collapsed to the arena floor. He seemed to struggle for a moment, then fell silent and limp. The shadow melted back into the ground and the wall of the arena transformed back into a ramp.

"Yosuke!" Yu shouted as he raced into the arena. The others followed stayed behind, knowing there was nothing they could do. Before Yu could reach Yosuke's body, it levitated, along with the severed bits, and floated into the seating area beside Thanatos and his siblings. A white sheet appeared from thin air and covered the corpse.

"What are you doing with his body!?" Yu demanded, tears in his eyes.

"You wouldn't want it to start to smell." Thanatos replied. "I'm preserving it until we're done here. If you defeat me, you may take it home with you. If I prevail, it will hardly matter."

"You'll pay for this!" Yu screamed.

"You'll have your chance." Thanatos said. "Now vacate the arena, there is cleanup to be done."

Hanging his head in despair, Yu ascended the ramp. The first to meet him was Naoto. She was crying but did her best to put on a brave face. She embraced him. "I'm sorry." She said.

"What will I tell his family?" Yu asked. "For that matter, what will I tell the others? They'll be devastated." It was like him to think of others first. "Damnit! This is my fault. If it wasn't for me…"

"You can't blame yourself." Naoto cut him off. "I was the one who wanted more data. I was interested to see what would happen if someone died." He voice was increasingly shaky as she began to lose her composure.

"If I can't blame myself, you can't blame yourself either." Yu said. He held Naoto at arms length and wiped the tears from her cheek with his thumb. "We're not the only ones hurt by this."

Yu was right. Rise was on her knees sobbing uncontrollably. Yu knelt beside her and put his arm around her. "I can't believe it." Rise cried. "I can't believe he's dead. This can't be real. What will we do now?"

"We just have to go on, for his sake." Yu said. He pulled Rise in close and held her head to his chest. "We have to make sure his death wasn't in vain."

"I can't keep going." Rise sobbed. "This is too much."

"I know." Yu said gently. "We'll get through this together." He looked to the others. Gesturing with his head he called Naoto over. She knelt on the other side of Rise and took over as Yu went to the others.

Team JNPR looked like they were taking it about as well as could be expected. Yu could not know it, but Ren and Nora had experienced so much loss already in their short lives. They were numb. Nora shed some tears as Ren comforted her, a grim look on his face. Pyrrha pushed past Yu to help comfort Rise. She was always more concerned for others than for herself and Rise appeared to be the most broken up. Pyrrha was surely in pain as well but she would deal with it on her own later. Jaune just stared at the floor and occasionally shook his head. He was privately wondering how it had not been him. He was acutely aware of his own weakness and after surviving his fight had assumed the others would have no trouble. He knew he had another fight coming and the fear was already beginning to creep into his mind.

Team RWBY was not doing as well but seemed to be managing. Weiss' expression was hard to read but Yu guess it indicated regret. She had not been kind to Yosuke. Even though she did not particularly like him, she still considered him a friend. She now wished she had treated him better. Blake had seen more death than the others. Her blank expression gave nothing away but she was in pain. She had lost friends before and losing another brought the painful memories flooding back. Ruby was crying. From the sound of it she was struggling to stop but unable to. Yang had her locked in a tight embrace, tears of her own running down her face. For once Ruby did not make an attempt to escape the hug. Yang whispered to her trying to comfort her as she had in the past.

The Shadow Operatives were more acquainted with loss than any of the others. Akihiko struggled with memories of his sister, Shinjiro and Makoto. They had been killed and there was nothing he could do about it. Now it had happened again. For Mitsuru the pain was particularly acute. She saw herself as a protector responsible for the safety Yu and his friends. She had promised more than once to ensure their safety. She had failed. Labrys had thought the death and destruction of her past were behind her. She was physically unable to shed tears but would have if it were possible. Aigis did her best to comfort her sister. She knew loss only too well. Still, it had never been a topic she had discussed with others. Her secret pain only grew.

Yu walked a short distance away from the others and sat down. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared straight ahead. He had lost his best friend and had no idea what to do. No matter what anyone told him he would blame himself. Yosuke would not have been there if not for him. He wondered what he had to do. Did he need revenge? Did he need to attone? Would it even matter? He wanted to help his friends through it but did not know what to say. His pain was irrelevant compared to theirs. He was always the one they could turn to in time of need but now he was not sure that was a good thing.

Rise had calmed down a little. She was still crying but the hysterics were behind her. Pyrrha shifted her attention to Yu. She walked over and sat beside him. She too was unsure of exactly what to say. "I'm sorry." She finally said. She lifted her arm to place it on Yu's shoulder but changed her mind and returned it to her lap.

"I am too." Yu sighed.

"I know you must be blaming yourself." Pyrrha said. "There's probably nothing I can say that will change that." She paused to search for the right words. "Just know that he wouldn't have blamed you."

"Maybe." Yu said.

"I didn't know Yosuke as well as I would have liked to." Pyrrha said. "I'm sure there was a lot more to him that I could ever know. One thing I'm certain of is that he wouldn't want you to be like this. He wouldn't want you to be this sad. He wouldn't want you to cry over him."

"He probably wouldn't, but he's not here anymore is he?" Yu snapped. He immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take out my anger on you."

"It's fine." Pyrrha assured him. "It's difficult. I understand."

Ruby had calmed down. She walked over to the pair. "I'm sorry." She said.

"Yeah." Yu said.

"I know it's hard, but you need to put on a brave face." Ruby said. It made Yu angry. What did she know? "Whether you like it or not, you're a team leader, and right now, your team needs you." Yu looked over at Rise and Naoto who were crying together. "Now more than ever they need you to be strong for them."

"You're right." Yu said. "I just wish I knew what to say."

"Maybe you don't need to say anything." Ruby suggested. "Maybe just being there is enough."

"Thank you, both of you." Yu said. He stood and wiped his face with his sleeve. He started to walk back toward the others.

"Are you going to be alright?" Pyrrha asked.

Yu stopped. "No." He said without turning around.

* * *

 ***Author's Note: So why is the chapter named Parmenion? Parmenion was the top general and second in command to Alexander the Great. Though he was a trusted friend, Alexander had him murdered after Parmenion's son was found to be plotting against him. I think the parallels go without saying when it comes to this bit of the story.***


	44. Minerva

Chapter 44

Yu embraced both Rise and Naoto, one with each arm. They continued weeping. "We'll get through this together." He said, repeating his earlier promise. It was not much but it was the only comfort he could give.

"Pyrrha Nikos, you're up." Thanatos announced. "Let's see if you're more successful than your predecessor."

"I knew there was something wrong with you from the first." Pyrrha said as she descended the ramp to the arena floor. "You're sick. You're the very embodiment of evil."

"Evil I may be." Thanatos admitted. "That depends on your point of view. Sick though? No, I'm nothing of the sort. I would be sick if I took pleasure from your suffering. I don't. I am however delighted that my plan is one step closer to its realization."

"And what would that plan be?" Pyrrha asked.

"I've already told you." Thanatos replied. "Nyx will be freed."

Pyrrha had hoped Thanatos would let something slip but he had not. Evil, sick, if nothing else he was clever. "What abomination do you have for me?" She asked.

"You're a difficult case." Thanatos said. "You're an unstoppable warrior. You're also a paragon of virtue. What could possibly cast fear into your kind heart?" Thanatos narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps you would fear an opponent over whom your abilities have no power."

"They're called Grimm." Pyrrha said. "I've already fought them. I don't fear beasts."

"Ah, but what if a human - or at least a being of intelligence - were to circumvent your powers?" Thanatos asked. "That would be another matter entirely." A mass of shadow material swirled up from the arena floor, piling on top of itself and resolving into humanoid form. The excess fell away, leaving behind what appeared to be a heavily muscled man with a featureless face wielding a sword. All of it looked to be made of stone. "I'm quite interested to see how you cope with an opponent not carrying a trace of ferrous material."

The shadow did not speak. It simple extended its arm toward Pyrrha, pointing its sword at her. There would be no mind games but they were not needed. Having so recently witnessed the death of a friend, there was not a member of the group whose psyche was not affected. Pyrrha readied herself, crouching behind her shield and holding her spear with its point just beyond it. The shadow approached, holding its stone sword out as easily as if it were the lightest foil. Pyrrha made subtle attempts to use her semblance against it, but as Thanatos had indicated, magnetism had no effect.

Pyrrha swung Milo around, converting it to its rifle form in the process, and rested the barrel inside one of Akouo's cutouts. She took careful aim and squeezed the trigger. The shot struck the shadow dead center in the forehead. The force caused its head to snap back as if it had taken a strong punch but it almost instantly recovered. The shadow swung its sword back and charged. Pyrrha drew back Milo and converted it to a spear as the shadow unleashed its attack. Pyrrha caught it with her shield and was pushed off balance. The hit had been much more powerful than anticipated. She thrust Milo forward, striking the shadow's chest, but her backwards motion meant the blow had little power behind it. The shadow swung its sword horizontally from Pyrrha's left. This time she was ready. She met the attack with her shield, her movement canceling out the shadow's, and lunged forward with her spear. It hit the shadow's chest again, this time cracking off small chips of stone.

Rather than try to batter its way through Pyrrha's shield with its blade, the shadow hit her in the face with a straight punch. For something that looked so solid and heavy, it moved with incredible alacrity. It drew back to punch again and Pyrrha retreated, leaping back and out of the shadow's reach. She reached back with Milo, firing to add extra propulsion as she threw it at the shadow. The shadow knocked it away with its sword, sending it flipping up into the air. Pyrrha used her semblance to draw it back to her hand as the shadow charged. She caught Milo just above her shield as the shadow struck again. She blocked the strike and sliced back across her body with the spear. It drew a shower of sparks and stone chips as it ground across the shadow's body.

The shadow reached across and grabbed Pyrrha's left wrist. She was using the arm to block the shadow's sword. The shadow wrenched at her arm as she repeatedly stabbed at its midsection, apparently to little effect. It kicked her in the gut, causing her to double over and stumble back. In an instant the shadow whipped its sword around and crashed it into the back of Pyrrha's head. She slammed to the ground face first.

Correctly predicting the shadow's next attack, Pyrrha rolled out of the way as its sword slammed into the ground hard enough to crack it. She jabbed up with Milo, striking the shadow in the chin, then hit it in the shin with Akouo. The shadow teetered, then Pyrrha grabbed it by the ankle and flipped it to the ground. It slammed down with a thunderous crash. Pyrrha lifted Milo over her head and stabbed it down into the shadow's back. About a quarter of the point penetrated the shadow's body as sizable cracks radiated out.

In desperation the shadow slid its sword along the ground at Pyrrha's ankles. She jumped up and back to dodge, letting go of Milo in the process. She tried to draw it out with her semblance but it was stuck. The shadow scrambled to its feet, sweeping its sword around. Pyrrha deflected the blow with her shield and forced herself forward, slamming Akouo into the shadow's stomach. The shadow stumbled but twisted and elbowed her in the temple. Pyrrha stumbled back, blood seeping from a wound created as the blow pressed her tiara into her skin, and just got her shield up in time to block another swing of the shadow's sword.

Pyrrha pushed the blade down. As the shadow forcefully raised it back up, she used the energy to vault herself over the shadow's head. She landed on Milo and her weight combined with the twisting motion to rip the weapon free of the shadow's back, along with some fist sized chunks of the shadow. The shadow spun around and Pyrrha ducked under its blade. She converted Milo to a rifle and blasted the shadow in the knee. It's leg shattered and it toppled to the ground. Pyrrha pressed the muzzle of the rifle to its head and fired repeatedly until the stone shattered. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash and evaporated away.

"Bravo." Thanatos said flatly. "You defeated your opponent. It seems you've taken some damage though." He tapped the side of his head. "Go back to your friends and patch yourself up."

Completely ignoring her wound, Pyrrha ascended the ramp to the seating area. She headed straight for Naoto. She and her teammates sat some distance away from the others. They had been hesitant to approach, not knowing what to say. "That feeling you noticed has nothing to do with Thanatos draining our energy." Pyrrha reported. "I have a good sense for auras. Mine lost no strength. It's either a misdirection or something else entirely."

"I thought that might be the case." Naoto said. Her voice was still a bit shaky, hardly surprising given the circumstances.

"There's something you should consider, all three of you." Pyrrha said. "Thanatos is the god of death. If he has the power to take a life, he may have the power to return it."

"Until we know for sure we don't need any false hope." Rise snapped.

"If it's possible I'm going to make Thanatos suffer until he does." Yu vowed. It was very unlike him. He took a deep breath. "I'm happy you made it. I don't think the group could have handled another loss." That was more like him. "Now, I'm sure your teammates want to talk to you, and we need more time." Pyrrha nodded and walked to the others.

"Pyrrha, are you okay?" Jaune asked. He looked a bit ill. "You're bleeding a lot."

Pyrrha lifted her hand to the wound. "So I am." She said. Of course she already knew that. The blood had flowed all the way down to her chin and was dripping onto her shoulder. "I'll be fine. Does anyone have a bandage?"

Akihiko ripped off part of the shirt he had torn earlier and handed it to Pyrrha. "This'll have to do for now." He said.

Pyrrha removed her tiara and wrapped the cloth tightly around her head. "Thank you." She said.

"Why don't you just take the rest and clean up too?" Akihiko offered the rest of the shirt. "It looks like your teammate's about to throw up."

Pyrrha glanced over to see that Jaune did indeed look to be in distress. "That's a good idea." She agreed. She wiped the remaining blood from her face and shoulder.

"That looked like a tough fight." Ren said. "Fighting without your semblance must have been a challenge."

"It wasn't that bad." Pyrrha said. "My gear is still metal so I was able to manipulate it at least. It wasn't that different from fighting Grimm."

"I wonder what Thanatos has in store for me." Aigis said. "I do not think there is a way for him to neutralize my powers so effectively. I suspect he will return to psychological tactics."

"Even with all you've been through I don't think the mind games will count for much." Mitsuru said. "You're very strong."

"It is good to hear you say that." Aigis said. "Given that in the person of Metis I have literally fought against my emotions before, I tend to agree with your assessment."

"Aigis, please enter the arena." Thanatos said.

Aigis leapt from the seating area and landed in the arena. She checked that the guns built into her hands were loaded and ready to fire. "In defense of the world and defense of my friends, I am ready." Aigis said.

"I don't doubt that." Thanatos said. "I've known you for a long time after all. I've never met a kinder, more protective, more loyal person. It's quite remarkable for someone not even human."

"My body may not be human but I am closer than you will ever be." Aigis said. With Thanatos she was not going to take a compliment at face value.

"I was human once." Thanatos argued. "You remember. You must. You hated me, even then. There was good reason for that of course. Once it all came back and you tried to stop me, I very nearly ended you. My compassion has come back to haunt me. I wish to finish what I started."

"Then enter the arena and face me." Aigis challenged. "I am not the same as I was then."

"No, you are not." Thanatos agreed. "But neither am I. A rematch would be entertaining and I'd love to watch." Black liquid swirled up from the arena floor and instantly formed into a familiar shape. The slender frame, the slick black hair, the yellow scarf, the same dead eyes, it was the Ryoji of old.

"I am ready." Aigis said.

Then, in an instant, the shadow material surged all around Ryoji, transforming it into a towering winged abomination that retained his face. Its skin seemed to flow like liquid. It held a sword but that was hardly its most dangerous feature. It was the Avatar of Nyx. If it was anything like the real thing, it had the power to wield almost any power any Persona could. "Your friends can't help you this time." The shadow boomed.

Aigis was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden change. Expecting a conventional fight, she was now faced with something entirely different. Aigis could sense the shadow's power. It was not quite as powerful as the original - after all, Nyx was locked away and so her power was sealed as well - but an incredibly powerful foe nevertheless. It would not be a battle of maneuver. Aigis well knew the shadow was perfectly capable of filling the entire arena with its attacks. Endurance would win the day. "I am ready." Aigis repeated.

"You cannot defeat me alone." The shadow said. "Surely you know this."

The shadow was correct. It had taken the entirety of SEES to defeat the original and even then it had been a close run thing. Even in its reduced state it was unbelievably powerful. Alone, Aigis had no chance. "I am not alone." Aigis declared. The shadow smiled and laughed. With a wave of its arm electricity crackled through the air, filling the arena with searing bolts. Aigis closed her eyes. The current surged through her as she stood perfectly still. After a few seconds the energy faded.

Aigis opened her eyes. A look of shock spread across the shadow's face. She reached out her arms and unloaded her guns into the shadow. It seemed as if the shadow's liquid-like body absorbed most of the shots but a slight grimace of pain was evident among its confusion. "You should be dead!" The shadow screamed.

"Alone I would be." Aigis said. Still not understanding what had gone wrong, the shadow made another sweeping gesture. The entire arena was filled with a fireball. The conflagration raged for several seconds, completely obscuring the view both outside and in. When the fire died away Aigis stood there, seemingly unharmed. She thrust her palms toward the shadow and fire leapt from her hands and blasted into the shadow. The shadow groaned but endured the attack.

"This is impossible!" The shadow shouted. Its confusion had morphed into frustration.

"For me alone, it would be." Aigis said. With another sweeping gesture huge shards of ice shot out from the shadow in all directions. Aigis stood firm, the shards slamming into her but shattering and leaving her unmoved. Again Aigis blasted the shadow with fire. It tried to shield itself but that only focused the damage on other parts of its body. The shadow was clearly hurting but refused to go down.

"How are you doing this!?" The shadow raged. It slammed its sword into the ground, breaking the arena floor nearby into large chunks of stone. It used wind to lift them up then fired them at Aigis. This time Aigis did not stand and take it. She leapt up, planted her feet against one of the slabs, then pushed off and fired her thrusters, causing the stone to rocket back at the shadow. Aigis followed it up with a fresh salvo from the guns in her hands. The shadow now looked tired and injured. Its movements were slower and less fluid and its posture sagged. Looking on from outside the arena, Thanatos looked perplexed.

"Do you understand yet?" Aigis asked, directing her question to Thanatos rather than the shadow. "Do you understand what I have become?" Thanatos did not respond. The shadow roared. It pointed its sword at Aigis and fired a concentrated blast of electricity directly into her. It was impossible to dodge and the current surged through her, or more correctly, all around her. "The last time we fought, you lectured us on the arcana." Aigis said. "You seem to have forgotten to check mine."

The shadow stared at her. Its eyes suddenly widened in what could only be described as fear. "That's impossible." The shadow said.

Aigis blasted fire at the shadow again. Parts of it began to melt and fall away as the searing flames licked at it. "I have changed since we last fought." Aigis declared. "Thanatos, there is no doubting that you are clever. You have, however, made an elementary mistake. You have forgotten the past and are so doomed to repeat it." Aigis raised both hands over her head. A ball of brilliant light appeared above the shadow. Aigis lowered her hands and the ball descended and slammed into the shadow in a blinding flash. When the light faded all that remained was a glowing ash the evaporated away.

"You have _his_ power." Thanatos finally said.

"You underestimated him when we last fought." Aigis said. "Your brother neglected the fact that he had passed it on to me. With his power, there is nothing you can send against me that I will not defeat."

Thanatos stood in stunned silence. Moments earlier he had had his opponents decisively on the back foot, crippled by grief over their lost friend. Now the most powerful shadow he had summoned yet had been crushed more easily than any of the others. The very power that had sealed away his mother stood manifest before him. Still, his shock did not last. "We will see about that." He finally said after regaining his composure. "Depart the arena."

Aigis walked up the ramp to the seating area. The others reacted to her with a mix of awe and trepidation. "What is wrong?" She asked.

"That was incredible!" Nora exclaimed. "How did you do that?!"

Aigis approached the remnant of YYRN. "I too have lost a loved one." Aigis said. "Now his power is my power and he gives me strength. He may be gone, but I will use that power and everything else I have to get your friend back. If it is possible, I will make it so." They just stared at her in awe.

"Aigis, if I knew you could do that I wouldn't have resisted you when you insisted we come here." Akihiko said. "Makoto would be proud."

"There is no greater praise." Aigis said with a warm smile. Moments before she seemed like a god, but now she was back to being the sweet girl they all knew. "I only wish this were the end. For all my power, I cannot circumvent Thanatos' arrangement. The tournament will have to continue. I fear I will not be able to protect you."

"Are you alright?" Labrys asked. "You really took a poundin', even if it didn't look like it."

"I am very tired." Aigis said. She sat down near YYRN. "But I am undamaged. My...aura...that is to say, his aura, took the brunt of the shadow's attacks."

"Did you gain any insight on Thanatos?" Naoto asked. The look of despair had not left her face but she had seemingly fully regained her composure.

"I detected what you described, but as Pyrrha said, it did not weaken me." Aigis reported. "I suspect Thanatos is doing something to us, but what I cannot say. I did feel something when the shadow was destroyed. It was very similar to what the rest of you have described as happening at the beginning of the fight. Perhaps you did not notice because of the stress of combat."

"That adds a curious layer to it." Naoto sighed. "But we still have no idea what it means or if it even means anything at all."

"We will find the truth." Aigis said.

"How many more of us have to die before then?" Naoto asked. Apparently she was not as composed as she appeared. "How many more because I can't figure this out?"

"We are all in this together." Aigis said. "Placing the blame on you alone is wrong. You must not beat yourself up. Doing so will only benefit Thanatos."

"Aigis is right, you can't keep blaming yourself." Yu added. "We will prevail. Yosuke's sacrifice won't be in vain. We'll save the world."


	45. Phoenix

Chapter 45

"I guess I'm up next." Yang said.

"Worried?" Blake asked.

"After what we've seen it would be impossible not to be." Yang replied. "That said, I'm feeling pretty confident. I don't think there's anything Thanatos can conjure up that would bother me. The things my shadow said were about as bad as it gets."

"What did your shadow say?" Ruby asked. "I wasn't there."

"I'd rather not repeat it." Yang replied. "Besides, if things go the way I expect, we'll get to hear it all again."

"Your shadow wasn't that bad." Yu said.

"It did some talking before you guys showed up." Yang said. "You know how they operate. It knew all my insecurities and used them to maximum effect."

"I wouldn't expect you to have very much in the way of insecurities." Pyrrha said.

"You'd be surprised." Yang sighed. "On the plus side, Thanatos isn't going to embarrass me with them. I don't care if you guys know how I really feel."

"Oh Yang, no one is better at hating you than you are." Thanatos sneered. "It's time for your fight."

"I don't know, I feel pretty good about myself." Yang said. She walked down the ramp and took up her position on the arena floor. "Let's see what you've got."

"I'll put your confidence to the test." Thanatos said with a smirk. Shadow material rushed out of the ground and piled up on itself. It resolved into human form and the excess fell away to reveal a copy of Ruby."

"Well crap." Yang said. "This one's going to be rough."

"Aren't you happy to see your precious little sister?" The shadow asked. Yang was unnerved. It spoke in Ruby's voice but the malice of its tone was incongruous.

"You're a shadow, not my sister." Yang said.

"Do you think you'll be able to kill me?" The shadow asked. "Will you be able to punch this face? Will you cave this head in?"

"Like I said, you're not my sister." Yang repeated. "You just stole her face."

"Is that what will allow you to fight me, or is there more?" The shadow pressed. "You are jealous of me, aren't you?" The fact that the shadow was speaking in the first person as if it were Ruby made Yang angry. How dare the monster? And how dare it imply that Yang feel anything but love for her sister? "I'm so happy, so carefree. You agonize, crushed by the weight of the world, but not me. You wish the roles were reversed. After all, the team leader, the one with all the responsibility, the one with the dead mother, I should be the one suffering, not you."

"That's a lie and you know it!" Yang shouted. She gritted her teeth and balled her fists. "I want the kind of carefree happiness Ruby has but that doesn't mean I want her to lose it. I want us both to be happy. If anything, I'm afraid she'll lose it. That would crush me."

"Would it?" The shadow said. "I bet your death would rip that away from her. How about I kill you and find out?"

"Just try it." Yang challenged. She took a fighting stance and stared down the shadow.

Yang bounced back and forth, shifting the weight between her feet, waiting for the shadow to make its move. She did not have long to wait. The shadow fired its sniper-scythe backwards, launching itself toward Yang. It swung the blade around at blinding speed but Yang caught it on her left gauntlet. With her right she punched the weapon aside, throwing the shadow off balance in the process. Lunging forward she landed a punch to the shadow's stomach that lifted its feet off the ground. As it turned in the air, Yang jumped and punched the shadow back down, slamming it into the ground.

"How do you like that?!" Yang shouted as she punched at the downed shadow's head. The shadow rolled out of the way, and in a flurry of wilted rose petals, zipped to its feet a safe distance away.

"You will die here!" The shadow screamed. Its smug expression was replaced by one of rage. It repeated its opening move, firing backwards to launch itself toward Yang. Instead of attacking directly, it planted its scythe in the ground and pole-vaulted over Yang's head. Yang spun around to face it, simultaneously throwing a right hook. The shadow ducked under the punch, leveled its weapon and fired. The high-caliber round struck Yang in the chest and knocked her flat on her back. She rolled back over her shoulder and to her feet as the shadow slammed its blade down. Side-stepping as the shadow fired again, Yang then delivered a leaping punch to the shadow's face that was enough to wobble it. She threw another punch but the shadow dodged it and dove past her to the side, using its scythe to sweep her legs. Yang tucked and rolled forward, twisting around to face the shadow. She fired her gauntlets as the shadow fired its rifle and the shots cancelled in a brilliant flash.

"Is that all you've got?" Yang taunted.

"Not by a long shot." The shadow hissed. The shadow began zipping around, trailed by wilted rose petals that mocked Ruby's, too fast for Yang to keep track of its movements. It appeared at her side, swinging its scythe around. Yang had just enough time to raise a gauntlet to block but not enough to brace against the blow. She was sent flipping through the air, regained control of her movement and landed on her feet before skidding to a stop near the edge of the arena. Before Yang could react the shadow was upon her and struck her with an upward swing of its weapon. Yang was flung upward, slammed into the invisible dome that surrounded the arena and tumbled toward the ground. The shadow met her midair, and hit her with the blunt side of its weapon. She rocketed toward the ground, careening off the arena retaining wall before slamming to the floor. The shadow attacked without hesitation but Yang immediately got to her feet. She jumped over its swing and the shadow's weapon bounced off the wall and threw the wielder off balance. Yang reared back and delivered a haymaker to the side of its head that sent it sprawling onto its back.

"You're mine!" Yang growled, diving atop the shadow. Straddling its torso, she delivered punch after Ember-Celica-enhanced punch to the shadow's face.

"Yang, please, stop." The shadow begged. "You're hurting me!" It was Ruby's voice. Its eyes, the eyes that displayed such terror, were too much like Ruby's eyes. Yang could not help but hesitate. She knew in her head that it was not her sister, but her heart was another story. In an instant the shadow shifted its weight, tipping Yang to the side as it slipped free. She caught herself, planting her arm on the ground, but the shadow swung its weapon around and smashed it into the side of Yang's head like a baseball bat. Yang tumbled across the floor and came to rest on her back. "I can't believe you fell for that." The shadow hissed. Yang rolled onto her side but the shadow ran over and kicked her in the gut before she could get up. She curled up in a ball as the shadow repeatedly kicked her. One last vicious kick to the head and Yang went limp. The shadow laughed and brought its weapon to bear, aiming the gun at Yang's head.

Yang's eyes snapped open, red and seeming to burn with rage. Her hair burst into flame. She grabbed the shadow's weapon and used it to drag the monster to the ground. She rolled on top of the shadow, using her knee to pin the arm that held its weapon to the ground while her other leg held it in place. "I can't believe you fell for that." Yang mocked with a smirk. The shadow tried to retaliate with its free arm but Yang caught it. With a twist she snapped it like a twig. "Stealing my sister's face, her voice, just to hurt me, that's unforgivable."

"You still can't do it." The shadow said. "It hurts you too much to hurt her."

Yang grabbed the shadow by the throat with her left hand, squeezing and holding it down as the shadow desperately struggled to wriggle free. That shut it up at least. Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Without looking she repeatedly punched the shadow in the head until she felt it crack and crush under the onslaught. By the time she opened her eyes the shadow had already burst into a cloud of glowing ash. Yang knelt there hyperventilating. The fire in her hair died away and her eyes returned to their usual violet as her breathing began to slow and normalize. She regained her calm but was deeply disturbed.

"Congratulations, you have successfully displayed your willingness to beat your sister to death with your bare hands." Thanatos said. "Exit the arena."

Bruised and bloodied, Yang walked up the ramp and out of the arena. "Yang, are you okay?" Ruby asked. She looked concerned.

"Shadow you hits harder than real you." Yang laughed. She rubbed the side of her head. "I don't think anything's broken though.

"No, I mean, are _you_ okay?" Ruby asked again. "That must have been tough."

"It wasn't easy to fight something that looked like you, but I'll be fine." Yang assured her.

"I was scared." Ruby said. "I thought you were dead."

"So did the shadow." Yang said. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"I...don't know what I would do if you…" Ruby struggled.

"Don't let you happiness be reliant on me." Yang cut her off. "The day might come when...you know. No matter what happens to me, I just want you to be happy. Okay?"

"O-okay." Ruby stuttered. She hugged Yang tightly.

"Alright, that's enough." Yang groaned. "I think I have some bruised ribs."

"Did you learn anything?" Naoto asked.

"Nothing new." Yang replied. "I felt what you all described but I have no idea what it means. I guess I learned what a sadistic bastard Thanatos is, but we already knew that." She took a seat with her teammates. "I need some rest." She leaned back against the next row of seats.

"Damnit." Naoto said under her breath. "Why can't I figure this out?"

"Maybe it's not something that can be figured out." Pyrrha suggested. "It could just be another one of Thanatos' tricks. He might want us to agonize over figuring out what's really going on. We need to focus on our fights."

"Pyrrha's right." Yu said. "We don't have the evidence we need at the moment and there really isn't a way to get more. The truth, or at least a few clues, might reveal themselves, but until then there isn't much we can do other than survive. After I fight all that's left is the doubles. Then maybe we can finally get some answers."

"After what Thanatos just put in front of Yang you must be worried about your shadow." Pyrrha said.

"I'm actually not that concerned." Yu shrugged. "I'm worried about the fight itself. How could I not be? There just isn't much that bothers me."

"He's not kidding." Rise added. "I've never seen anything get under his skin. Actually, I don't think I'd ever even seen him angry until…" She began to sob. "I'm sorry."

"It'll be okay." Yu said softly. He wrapped Rise in a hug to console her and she wrapped him up tightly. "Everything's going to work out, I promise. You need to be strong for me." He turned his head to face the others. "That goes for all of you. My strength is my friends."

"Touching." Thanatos said. "It's time for your fight."

Yu pulled himself away from Rise's grasp. "Don't die." She cried.

Yu held her at arm's length, looked her in the eyes and smiled. "I'm going to be fine." Yu said. He turned only to be immediately embraced by Naoto.

"You'd better come back." Naoto said. She buried her face in his shoulder to hide her emotions. "Promise me."

"I promise." Yu said. He pulled back and met Naoto's gaze with a smile.

"Today Narukami." Thanatos said.

Yu descended the ramp and took his place on the arena floor. "I'm coming for you." Yu said, staring straight at Thanatos. His voice lacked the slightest hint of anger - or any other emotion for that matter - but that made his statement all the more threatening. "You won't stop me."

"Time will tell." Thanatos said.

Black goo swirled up from the center of the arena. It coalesced into human form. The excess melted away, leaving behind a scarred young man with shocking red hair and twin swords. It was clearly meant to be Sho Minazuki. "So Yu, going to lecture me on your power of friendship bullshit?" The shadow asked. Yu said nothing. "Have you finally given it up? Come on moron, I'm living, breathing proof that you don't need your stupid friends. I'd rather fall on my swords than be friends with you losers." Yu looked on, impassive. "Not getting you riled up huh? That's cool. It doesn't matter. I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to kill all of your friends. You said it yourself: your strength is your friends. They're not here to help you and you won't be there to help them."

"My friends are always with me." Yu said serenely.

"I don't see them." The shadow said. "Maybe they're just hiding. I'm pretty sure Yosuke's not here though. Such a shame, I hoped to kill him myself."

"If you think you're going to get under my skin, you're mistaken." Yu said with super-human calm. His monotone voice and blank expression betrayed nothing of his inner feelings.

"Fine, if my words aren't going to get under your skin my swords will!" The shadow laughed maniacally.

Yu drew his sword and held it in front of him in a slow smooth motion. The shadow roared and charged, trailing its twin swords. Yu shifted his stance, held his sword in one hand and used the other to fire electricity at the shadow as it approached. The shadow lifted one blade, caught the electricity and fired it off harmlessly to the side. Not breaking its stride it slashed at Yu with the other blade. He easily deflected it, jumped back as the shadow slashed at him with the first and then, with the shadow out of position, he punched it in the chest with a fist charged with electricity. The shadow flew back through the air, slamming down and skidding to a stop near where it had originally appeared. Yu returned to his original stance.

The shadow sprung to its feet and charged again, this time whipping its blades around in a frenzy. Yu again dropped a hand off his sword and fired a bolt of lightning at the shadow. The flash from his own attack temporarily blinded him and when he could see again the shadow was gone. Yu spun around with his sword extended. The shadow had teleported behind him and Yu immediately deflected one of its blades with his sword. For the second he lifted his free arm and caught the shadow's forearm. He then kicked the shadow in the leg. It lost its balance and Yu slashed the back of its head with his sword as it went down.

The shadow teleported again and Yu quickly turned to face it. It swept its swords in an X pattern toward him, firing a blast of energy. Yu blocked the blast with his sword as the shadow teleported again. Yu had no time to adjust and took a pair of slashed across the back. Other than a slight grimace on Yu's face the hits hardly registered. Yu turned and blocked both of the shadow's swords with his own. The air around him crackled with energy and electricity fired out in all directions. The shadow writhed as the current surged through it and fell to its knees. Yu slashed at it but it teleported before his attack arrived.

Now Yu was off balance, only just having stopped himself from falling over forwards. The shadow reappeared behind him and kicked him in the back. Yu tucked and rolled forward landing on his feet but the shadow was upon him. It slipped one blade under his chin and with the other stabbed at his back. Yu was pressed between the blades, saved only by his aura. He crouched but the shadow kept the blades firmly in place. Yu grunted, finally starting to feel the pain. He sprung up and backflipped, landing with the blade the shadow had used on his back now between his legs. Stiffening his legs, Yu spun around, twisting the blade out of the shadow's grip. Its other sword was out of position was well and Yu slashed at the unprotected shadow but it again teleported.

Yu picked up the shadow's abandoned blade and sheathed his own. The shadow charged, teleporting erratically as Yu fired bolts of electricity at it. It teleported into the air above him and slashed down hard. Yu lifted the stolen blade to block and it melted in his hands. The shadow's attack landed on his collar bone, and though his aura held, it knocked him onto his back.

"That blade was as much a part of me as my arm." The shadow taunted. "How stupid are you that you think I'd let you use it against me." It slammed its sword down at him but Yu rolled out of the way and jumped back to his feet.

Yu drew his own sword as the shadow pressed the attack. He slipped to the side as the shadow stabbed at him, stepped forward and pinned the shadow's arm to his side. He slid his leg behind the shadow's and thrust his shoulder into it. The shadow dropped its other blade and fell over backwards. Without hesitation Yu plunged his sword into the shadow's torso. Electricity coursed through the blade and into the shadow which seized for a moment before bursting into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

Thanatos prepared to deliver some snide comment but Yu spoke first. "If you thought that would stop me you've gravely underestimated me." He said.

"Your emotional control is impressive." Thanatos admitted. "That is most unexpected. We shall see if you can maintain it. Now, depart the arena."


	46. Thor

Chapter 46

Yu sheathed his blade and walked up the ramp and out of the arena. Without saying a word to anyone he took a seat. His face maintained the same steely expression but his eyes betrayed something more. "I'm so happy you're alright." Rise said. Yu barely acknowledged her as she slid in beside him. She hugged him but almost immediately released him. "Senpai...what is it?"

"It really isn't fair." Yu sighed. "It's just not fair."

"What's not fair?" Rise asked.

"I'm alive." Yu replied. "Yosuke's dead. It's not fair. We each had our fight but here I am without him. I would rather have had it be me that didn't make it." Rise just looked at him as tears began welling up in their eyes.

"That train of thought's a dead end." Naoto warned. She sat next to Yu, opposite Rise. "I went through it when my parents died. Why was I left behind? How could I go on without them? Down that road there's nothing but pain. The best thing you can do is turn back now. If you don't you'll only end up hating yourself. It took a lot to get me to stop hating myself. I don't think I can watch you go through that."

Yu looked Naoto in the face. Her expression was stern but her eyes were not. He knew that look. She was worried about him. "You're right." Yu said. "Unfortunately that doesn't change how I feel."

"You need to focus." Naoto said. "We're not done here. We've all got to fight again. I know it hurts, it hurts me too, but we can't lose sight of what we need to do. We need to survive first, then defeat Thanatos and save the world. If we don't, none of this will matter."

"Yeah, I know." Yu said. "You don't need to worry about my focus. I will finish what we started."

Some distance away the others looked on. They felt unable to join. In any case, they had their own problems to worry about. Assuming the same pattern from the individual fights continued, Ren and Nora would be next to fight. Ren was a circumspect as usual but Nora was bursting with energy.

"I'm going to help Yu get his revenge!" Nora declared. She seemed excited to fight as if she were entirely oblivious to the danger. "I'll crush whatever Thanatos throws at us."

"Nora, I think you need to calm down." Blake suggested. She knew, as did the others, that such an admonition would have little if any effect. "If you go in recklessly you'll only be putting Ren and yourself in danger."

"She'll fight the way she fights." Ren shrugged. "I'm not worried about it. I have her back and she has mine."

"You on the other hand might need to be a little less calm." Akihiko said. "You're going to need that adrenaline."

"Ren, how's your hand?" Pyrrha asked.

Ren lifted the palm he had sliced open during his individual fight. Only a barely visible crease in his skin remained. "I've had more than enough time to heal." He assured her.

"And Nora?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'm ready." Nora replied.

"Good, because it's time for the two of you to fight." Thanatos said. "Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, enter the arena."

The pair headed for the ramp. "Good luck." Yu said as they walked past. Nora almost skipped to the arena floor, such was the bounce in her step. Taking his time, Ren walked up and stood beside her.

"Ah, the first doubles match." Thanatos said. "It seems my sister has an excellent idea for your opponent." Eris stood beside him in silence sporting a devious grin. Shadow material rose up from the arena floor and resolved into the form of a woman. She wore an elegant pink gown accented with gold. Atop the shadow's red hair was an ornate crown. It held a hammer.

"That's my shadow." Nora said, her voice not indicating the slightest concern. It did indeed have her face and her weapon. "Crushing it was really easy the last time."

"I think you'll find me to be much more powerful." The shadow said. "When last we met you were injured and weak, so I was as well. Now you're healthy and bursting with energy. So am I."

"Ren did wake up." Nora said. "He didn't abandon me. I told you he wouldn't. See!"

"So he is." The shadow said. "I'll take pleasure in changing that. By the time I'm done with him he'll be nothing but a thin paste!" The shadow cackled maniacally. "Then you, I'll take my time with you. I'll break your legs, then your arms. Then I'll slowly crush your ribs, one by one. You'll be begging for death. Revenge will be sweet."

"You don't stand a chance against the two of us." Nora said dismissively. "Even if you're as strong as me, so is Ren. That's two against one, and we're even stronger together."

"You make a good point." The shadow said. "Thanatos, could you fix that?" The shadow lifted its hammer over its head. Thanatos waved his arm and a lightning bolt crackled through the sky and struck the shadow. The shadow laughed. "Yes, now I'm charged up!"

"Hey, no fair!" Nora protested to no avail.

"Quit complaining and fight you lunatic!" The shadow demanded.

"You're the crazy one!" Nora shouted. She charged straight at the shadow.

"Nora wait!" Ren called as he chased after her.

Nora raced to the shadow and swung Magnhild. Her hammer crashed into the shadow's side but it did not even flinch. With a smirk the shadow swung its own hammer around and struck Nora with an uppercutting blow. Nora went sailing back and slammed into the approaching Ren, sending both tumbling to the ground. As the pair got to their feet the shadow cackled and charged. With a 360 degree spin it sent both flying with its hammer. Their trajectories had separated Ren and Nora, and the shadow chose to go after Ren.

Ren rolled out of the way as the shadow brought its hammer crashing down hard enough to shatter the stone floor. He got to his feet, ducked under a wild swing of the shadow's hammer and rolled forward. Now behind the shadow Ren unloaded his guns into its back. It whipped around with its hammer and Ren leapt up and over the attack. Redirecting its momentum the shadow swung its hammer up and caught Ren midair, sending him tumbling straight up. As Ren fell the shadow lined up to hit him.

A series of grenades struck the shadow, courtesy of Nora. They created enough of a smokescreen to allow Ren to land and duck away. With blinding speed the shadow charged at Nora. Both swung their hammers and their attacks met. The shadow's was stronger and Nora spun wildly off balance. The shadow's next swing connected with Nora's back and sent her careening into the wall that surrounded the arena. She bounced off at a shallow angle and rolled to a rest on the ground. The shadow followed, raised its hammer over its head and brought it crashing down.

Ren arrived just in time, blocking the attack with his blades on the shadow's hammer's shaft. The shadow struggled to force its weapon through his block and Ren began to bend under the strain. The shadow abruptly abandoned the test of strength and with no resistance remaining Ren stumbled forward. The shadow met him with an elbow to the face that spun him around. A kick to the back pushed him away and he only just avoiding falling on his face. It put him in prime hammer range and a horizontal swing smashed him into the nearby wall. Bits of stone fell on Ren as the wall crumbled from the impact.

While the shadow was occupied with Ren, Nora managed to maneuver behind it. She slammed Magnhild into its legs and after doing nearly a full flip the shadow slammed down on its face, its ornate crown separating from its head and rolling away. Nora quickly slammed her hammer down on the shadow. She struck again and again as the shadow groaned in agony. She took a deep breath, raised her hammer over her head and prepared to deliver a killing blow. Nora took too long. The shadow rolled over and spun to its feet. Nora tried to adjust but the shadow struck her in the shoulder with its hammer and she tumbled across the ground. Nora was surrounded by a telltale shimmer as her aura failed. Nora converted Magnhild to its grenade launcher form but the shadow reached her before she could fire. Instead of attacking Nora directly it slammed its hammer down on her weapon, crushing it to the point of making it inoperable.

"Now you don't even have your precious Magnhild to save you." The shadow taunted.

Ren leapt onto the shadow's back and began stabbing it furiously. It flailed in a vain attempt to get him off and stumbled away from Nora. Nora tried to stand but her legs refused to cooperated. She managed to get to one knee. She tried firing Magnhild but it was too badly damaged. It would not even transform back into a hammer. Meanwhile, the shadow managed to get ahold of Ren. It tossed him to the ground and slammed its hammer down on his chest. In a flash of light his aura failed.

Something hit the shadow in the back of the head hard enough to get its attention. It turned around to see its crown rolling around on the ground. Nora stood a distance away, apparently having thrown it. "Leave him alone!" Nora demanded.

"Nora, don't!" Ren strained.

"If you're so desperate to die first, I'll be happy to oblige." The shadow laughed. It stomped toward Nora with a cocky grin, stopping a few feet away, optimal hammer range.

Nora lunged forward. "Surprise!" She shouted. There was a thunderous explosion the blasted the shadow's head off as Nora slammed the grenades she held together. Nora was thrown back by the blast as the shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

Ren sat up, clutching his chest in pain and gasping for breath. "Ren!" Nora cried. Her voice was shaky and weak. Ren looked to her. Even from a distance he could see that she was badly hurt. He struggled to his feet and staggered over to her. The sight that greeted him was even worse than he had feared. Blood oozed from innumerable shrapnel wounds all over Nora's body. There was worse. Nora's hands were completely gone. Only bloody stumps, the shattered bones of her forearms protruding, remained. "Ren." She cried, reaching out to him.

Ren wanted to hold her hand but there was no hand to hold. "Nora…" Ren gasped. He knelt beside her and cradled her head. Ren could hear the footsteps of the others as they rushed into the arena. He desperately wanted to do something, but what could he do? "Come on Nora, it'll be alright." He whispered to her.

"Ren...it hurts." Nora groaned.

"I know it does." Ren said. "Please...just stay with me." Despite his best efforts he was beginning to cry.

"I'm sorry." Nora said. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

"Don't apologize." Ren sobbed. "You've never been any trouble."

"Ren I...I…" Nora stuttered. She was fading fast. "I...Ren...I...It's so cold." She went limp.

"No!" Ren shouted. "Nora please!" She was not breathing. "Damnit!"

Nora's lifeless body was pulled out of Ren's grasp and into the air. Along with the shattered Magnhild, it floated down beside Yosuke's corpse. A white sheet appeared in the air above it and gently covered the body. "Why so sad Ren?" Thanatos hissed. "You've won. Now leave the arena, all of you. There's quite a lot of cleanup to be done."

"You monster." Ren growled. He stopped himself. He resumed his usual blank expression, took a deep breath and headed for the ramp. Just putting such a facade of calm must have required superhuman effort. The others followed him out of the arena, a somber procession.

"I figured it out." Pyrrha said. She was clearly distraught, on the verge of tears. "I figured out what Thanatos has been doing to us. When Nora...when Nora breathed her last, Thanatos glowed just like when he reabsorbs shadows. When one of us falls, he absorbs our energy the same way. That feeling must be him tethering to us."

"No wonder it was such a feeling of emptiness." Naoto said. "What's more empty than death?"

Nora's death hit them all hard. Nora had always been such a source of joy, bursting with boundless energy. Now she was gone. Everyone was crying or close to it. After Yosuke it might have been expected that their pain would be numbed but it was just as sharp. Ren was the exception. He sat with a blank stare, betraying not the slightest hint of emotion. Even his eyes seemed empty.

"Ren I...I have no idea what to say." Pyrrha said, taking a seat beside him.

"Now I am truly alone." Ren said in a monotone voice. "Everything and everyone I'd ever had was already gone. Nora was all I had left. Without her I have nothing. If it would bring her back I would kill myself right now. There's no point in living anymore, not if she's not with me."

"Please don't say that." Pyrrha said. "Nora wouldn't want you to say that. You still have friends that care about you too. It's not the same thing, I know, but please, don't give up."

"Nora would want me to be happy." Ren admitted. "I know that. But I don't see a way to be happy now. There are so many things I wish I'd said, so many things I wish I'd done. Now it's too late. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"We all have our regrets but now's not the time." Yu said as he walked over. "If you want something to live for, live for your friends. Pyrrha's right. There are a lot of people who care about you. If you just give up you'll be letting them down."

"I don't want to have this conversation right now." Ren said.

"Too bad." Yu said. "You need to have it."

"I'm not strong enough." Ren said. "I'm wasn't strong enough to protect Nora and I'm not strong enough to go on without her."

"So share in our strength." Yu said. "Together, all of us, we'll get through this. I'm not strong enough either but I have my friends. They're all counting on me and we're all counting on you."

"No wonder you're their leader." Ren said. "I didn't think you were one for inspirational speeches."

"I'm not." Yu said. "I just can't stand seeing a friend in pain."

"We're all in pain." Ren said. "You shouldn't waste your time on me. I'm not important."

"Everyone's important." Yu said. "We're all hurting but you're feeling it most acutely. I can't just stand by and watch. The only way we're going to defeat Thanatos and save the world is if we all stick together. If we give up hope we won't have a chance."

"I don't really care about the world right now." Ren sighed. "A world without Nora isn't a world I care to live in."

"Fine, the world doesn't mean anything to you." Yu said. "Nora does, so do it for revenge. If avenging her is the goal you need to keep you going, that's fine. I never thought I'd consider revenge a good reason to do anything, but after what's happened…" A mix of anger and anguish swept over Yu's face, an expression none of the others had ever seen him display. It soon passed and his calm returned. "It's okay to hurt. It's okay to be sad. Just don't quit on us or on her."

"You're right." Ren said. "I can't let Nora's death be for nothing."

Mitsuru and Akihiko knew their match was next. Akihiko seemed unconcerned but the same was not true of Mitsuru. "Even after all we've been through, this is difficult." She said.

"I know." Akihiko said. "But that Thanatos is a twisted motherfucker and he needs to be stopped. I'm eager to do my part."

"Aren't you ever the least bit worried?" Mitsuru asked.

"What's the point in worrying?" Akihiko asked. "It's just a distraction. We've got to fight, no matter the risk. The world is at stake. We can only win if we stay focused."

"You don't have the slightest fear of death?" Mitsuru pressed.

"Do you believe in an afterlife?" Akihiko asked.

"I guess so." Mitsuru replied.

"Well, I do." Akihiko said. "I watched my sister and two of my best friends die before my eyes. If I didn't believe there was something more, I don't think I could have handled that. If I have to die to save the world, I'm just following in Makoto's footsteps. Hopefully I'd be reunited with the ones I've lost."

"So you have a deathwish?" Mitsuru asked.

"Far from it." Akihiko said. "I don't want to die. I know better than most how painful death is to those left behind. I don't want to be the cause of that pain. Besides, there are people I want to spend my life with, as long a life as possible. I just don't fear death. There's no point."

"Don't do anything reckless." Mitsuru warned.

"You don't have to worry about me." Akihiko said. "I've got your back. I'm not just going to throw my life away. Too much is at stake."

"It's time to put those words to the test." Thanatos said. "Akihiko Sanada and Mitsuru Kirijo, enter the arena." The pair descended the ramp to the arena floor, leaving the others to their mourning.


	47. Prometheus

Chapter 47

"So, what do you have for us this time?" Akihiko asked. He stretched in preparation for the fight. Mitsuru stood silently beside him.

"I have something very special in mind." Thanatos replied. "A reunion of sorts." Black liquid surged up from the arena floor and coalesced into human form. It resolved into the figure of a man wearing a black suit and carrying a long straight sword. With blue hair partially covering its face and a look of apathy, it was clearly meant to be Makoto.

Mitsuru cringed. Akihiko smiled. "I always wanted to fight him." Akihiko said. "I think it would have made a great match. I would have preferred the real thing but this will have to do."

"You two are responsible for my death you know." The shadow said. "You led us all into a trap Mitsuru. You wanted to badly to be the hero that you blindly charged straight toward the end of the world. Then you were helpless to do anything to fix your blunder. Even now you're trying to atone, but you never will. Nothing you do could possibly make up for the evils you perpetrated. The road to Hell is paved with your good intentions." Mitsuru looked down, refusing to meet the shadow's gaze. She was already racked with guilt. A shadow with his face served only to drive the point home. "And you Akihiko, you always talked about wanting to be stronger. You never wanted to be helpless again, not after your sister was incinerated because of your weakness. But you were still too weak. You could do nothing to stop Nyx so it fell to me. Your failure made my death inevitable."

"That's a pretty accurate assessment." Akihiko admitted. "I certainly had no concept of the power that faced us. All the training in the world probably wouldn't have made a difference." He laughed. "You know, you may be a shadow here to insult me, but I'm just happy to see that face again."

"I'm not here to insult you." The shadow said. "I'm here to kill you."

"I know, I know." Akihiko said. "It doesn't really matter. The two of us are going to kick your ass, then we're going to kick Thanatos' ass. I'll beat the crap out of his siblings too if need be. So why don't you shut up and fight?" He turned to Mitsuru and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, don't let this asshole get to you."

Mitsuru looked up with an expression of renewed determination. "I've had quite enough of this." She said. "I'm done feeling bad about the past. And I have to agree with Akihiko, despite the circumstances it is nice to see that face again."

"Good, because it'll be the last face you ever see." The shadow hissed.

"As much as I'd love a one-on-one I don't think I'm a match for his Persona abilities." Akihiko said. "Mitsuru, would you lock him down for me?"

Mitsuru nodded. She raised her arm, clenching her fist. An ice crystal grew out of the ground and encased the shadow's legs. Akihiko charged as the shadow struggled to wrench itself free. Finding the effort futile, it pointed its free hand at the ice and unleashed a stream of fire. Akihiko arrived before the ice melted. The shadow blocked his first punch with its sword but his follow up shot nailed the shadow in the forehead. The shadow rocked back but was unable to move because of the ice. Akihiko smacked the sword aside and punched the shadow in the gut then hit it in the face with an uppercut. The force of the strike broke the shadow free of the ice. It popped up into the air and Akihiko slammed it down with a punch to the chest.

Akihiko moved to dive atop the shadow but took a fireball to the chest instead. He stumbled back as the shadow hopped up. Swinging its sword like a baseball bat it smashed the weapon into the side of Akihiko's head. He flipped over and landed awkwardly on his side. The shadow stabbed at him but Mitsuru arrived and deflected the strike. Akihiko got to all-fours and retreated, struggling to clear his head. Mitsuru engaged the shadow with her rapier. He had the speed but it had the power. After a series of sword clashes she saw her opening and stabbed straight forward. Her blade hit the shadow in the chest but failed to penetrate. With its sword the shadow knocked hers aside, pushing her off balance. She spun completely around, deflected the shadow's attack then kicked it in the groin. The shadow stumbled back and doubled over, giving Mitsuru the opportunity to kick it squarely in the face. The shadow again ended up on its back.

Mitsuru stabbed repeatedly at the downed shadow. On her third strike it retaliated by giving her a face full of fire. Mitsuru stumbled away, turning her back to the shadow, and her aura failed just as the flames died. The shadow stood and thrust forward with its sword. Akihiko hit the shadow with a diving tackle just as its blade nicked the skin on Mitsuru's back. Akihiko and the shadow rolled across the floor, the shadow winding up on top. It slammed him in the face with the pommel of its sword and Akihiko retaliated with a blast of electricity. The shadow jumped up and back. Akihiko unleashed more electricity but the shadow directed the attack away with its sword before hitting him with a fireball.

Mitsuru fired a volley of ice crystals at the shadow. The shadow struggled to protect itself as ice built up around it. To avoid being frozen in place it changed tactics, deflecting some of the crystals at Akihiko. After being hit by a few crystals Akihiko went down in pain and Mitsuru halted her attack. The shadow unleashed a blast of fire at Mitsuru but she summoned a wall of ice to protect herself. The shadow poured in more flames, slowly melting away at the barrier. Akihiko got to his feet and lunged at the shadow, slugging it in the side of the head.

The shadow turned to face Akihiko and side-stepped his second punch. Akihiko was undeterred and struck the shadow with a hook to the jaw. He continued with a flurry of punches as the shadow gave up all offensive attempts to block. Changing levels repeatedly Akihiko kept up a furious assault that the shadow was helpless to stop. The shadow tried to retreat but Akihiko kept advancing, never letting up the pressure. The shadow made the bewildering decision to stop trying to block. Instead it turned away from Akihiko, even as he continued striking it.

The shadow launched a huge blast of fire at Mitsuru. Her ice wall was long gone and the attack hit her full force. She was immediately engulfed in flames, screaming as she dove to the ground. She rolled around, frantically trying to smother the flames. Akihiko abandoned his assault on the shadow and rushed to Mitsuru. He dove on top of her in a desperate attempt to snuff out the fire. His own aura failed as the flames licked at him. The fire was finally out but Mitsuru was silent and still.

"Don't you dare die on me damnit!" Akihiko yelled.

He had forgotten about the shadow. It walked over and kicked him in the side of the head. Akihiko tumbled across the floor and ended up flat on his back. Before he could get up the shadow thrust its sword through his midsection. Akihiko groaned in agony and struggled to do something as the shadow twisted the blade. "Now that I've killed the two of you I'll kill Aigis and Labrys." The shadow hissed. "Then all the rest of them will fall to me."

"Fuck you." Akihiko coughed. He wrapped one hand around the shadow's sword and the other around its ankle. "See you soon." Electricity coursed through Akihiko and surged through the shadow, utilizing the complete circuit. The shadow violently convulsed as the powerful current fried it. Finally Akihiko could fight no more, but it was enough. The shadow stiffly fell onto its back, bursting into a cloud of glowing ash as it hit the ground.

"No!" Aigis screamed, rushing into the arena. She ran to Akihiko and crouched by his side. "I will not lose you too!"

"I'm sorry, but it's too late for me." Akihiko groaned. He coughed, producing a fine spray of blood. "Kick Thanatos' ass for me." He coughed violently, spitting up more blood. "Miki…" He breathed his last. Aigis looked to Labrys who knelt beside Mitsuru. Labrys just shook her head. At that moment both bodies levitated up above them, drifting out of the arena to where Yosuke and Nora had been laid.

"What a match!" Thanatos enthused. "They put on quite the show, didn't they?"

Aigis stood, spattered with Akihiko's blood, and faced Thanatos. "I will destroy you." She declared.

"It's good to have goals." Thanatos said with a devious smile. "If I'm not mistaken, your goal in life was to protect your friends. You have failed quite spectacularly, so it's only natural that you'd find something new. Now, get out of my arena. Your time will come soon enough." Aigis stared at Thanatos for a moment. He stared back looking smug. Followed closely by Labrys she walked up the ramp and out of the arena.

"Aigis I…" Naoto started. She alone knew the full details of Aigis' past.

"I know what you are going to say and there is no need." Aigis cut her off. "I have lost friends before. You will say how sorry you are and how you feel bad for me. Please, do not make this about me. Grieve for them." Naoto nodded. "None of you need to worry about me. I will endure." Even Labrys was shocked into silence. They all just stood there for a few seconds.

"Enduring isn't enough." Yu finally said. Aigis was taken aback. Indignant, she wanted to say something but had difficulty finding the words. "Your friends wouldn't want you to endure. They would want you to be happy. If you just decide you won't talk about it, if you just bottle it up, you won't be happy."

"What would you have me say?" Aigis countered. "Should I describe the sorrow, the feeling of emptiness? Should I talk about how things will never be the same? How about the rage I feel, the desire for revenge? Should I discuss how I feel like a failure for once again being unable to save my friends? Is that what you want?"

"It's a start." Yu replied. "Let it all out."

"I promised to protect them." Aigis said. Between her tone of voice and the look on her face it was clear that she would be crying if she were she physically capable. "I made the safety, their happiness, my whole reason for living. From my very first deployment I have failed in every mission. I may as well be broken down for scrap."

"You're not a failure." Yu said. "You helped save the world. You saved your sister and stopped Sho. You still have friends to protect. You're certainly not worthless." Everyone else seemed too afraid to speak. "Would somebody please say something?"

"Aigis, please don't give up." Labrys said, wrapping Aigis in an awkward metal embrace. "If you lost your happiness, your warmth, it would be like losing you. I only just got to meet you. I don't think I could take it."

"We haven't known each other for long, but everything I've seen tells me you're an incredibly kind person." Pyrrha said. "That in itself makes you worthwhile."

"See?" Yu said. "What happened was a tragedy but you can't blame yourself. If you let it destroy you it will only make it worse."

"You are right, thank you." Aigis said, more composed now. "With the help of all of you I will get through this. There are still people who need me. And I have a new mission, one I will not fail. I will stop Thanatos."

Team RWBY was already focused on the next match. "Weiss, please be careful." Ruby pleaded, wrapping her arms and legs around her teammate and crying.

"Get off me." Weiss said. She tried to push Ruby away but was no match for her desperate grip. "I'm going to be fine. You've seen me fight. You know what I can do."

"Are you sure?" Ruby sniffed, loosening her grasp.

"Yes." Weiss took the opportunity to break free.

Ruby fell down onto her back before scrambling back to her feet. In a flurry of rose petals she was suddenly hugging Blake. "Blake…" She started.

"I'll be fine Ruby." Blake sighed. "I know you're worried but it'll be alright."

This time Ruby did not need to be pried away, instead releasing Blake and taking a step back. "Just come back, okay?" She said.

"We're both going to be fine." Blake assured her. "Right Weiss?" Weiss nodded.

Seeming to come from nowhere, Yang wrapped Blake and Weiss in a huge hug. As tight as Ruby had clung to the pair her strength was nothing compared to her sister's. "Oh for the love of…" Weiss groaned.

"Kick some ass and get back here." Yang said. "I know, I know, you guys'll be fine." She released them.

"Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, enter the arena." Thanatos commanded. The pair descended the ramp and took their places on the arena floor. "I know someone who would love to kill both of you." Thanatos laughed. Shadow material swirled out of the ground and resolved into humanoid form. The excess fell away leaving behind a red-haired, horned man dressed in black, a sword on his hip and a White Fang mask covering his eyes.

"That's Adam." Blake said.

"Adam?" Weiss said. "Wait, your...mentor?"

"Yes." Blake confirmed. Her expression was blank but Weiss could detect concern in her voice.

"It must be my lucky day." The shadow said. "A traitor and a Schnee to kill."

"You're the one who betrayed the Faunus." Blake charged.

"Shut your mouth." The shadow snapped. "You're a coward and a traitor. We were so close to striking a real blow. It would have been a great leap in our revolution. But you were afraid to get your hands dirty and sabotaged the whole operation. I'll show you what the White Fang does with the likes of you."

"Leave her alone!" Weiss shouted.

"And you, the very spawn of evil." Adam hissed. "You talk about equality and making up for the wrongs your family perpetrated, but there's hate and fear in your heart. You would crush the Faunus under your boot just as readily as your father. Oppressors like your family cannot be allowed to live."

"Why are we arguing with a shadow?" Blake asked, realizing the futility of it. "Why am I worried about fighting Adam? It's not even really him."

"It will fight like him though." Weiss said. "Any tips?"

"His weapon is a sword and a rifle." Blake said. "He'll probably open by…"

"I will not be ignored!" The shadow roared. "Not by a traitorous bitch and a Schnee whore!"

"You insolent…" Weiss said indignantly. With a swipe of her arm a line of glyphs appeared in front of her and she skated straight at the shadow.

"Watch out for…" Blake tried to warn Weiss but it was too late. The shadow's sword shot out of the sheath, slamming pommel-first into Weiss' face. She slammed down on her back as the shadow lunged forward to catch the blade. It stabbed down at Weiss but she deflected the attack with Myrtenaster and forced the shadow back with a stab at its chest. Weiss leapt to her feet and thrust her sword at the shadow. It blocked the attack and their blades interlocked. With its free hand the shadow grabbed its sheath and used it to bludgeon Weiss in the side of the head. The shadow slashed at Weiss but she dive-rolled out of the way.

Blake attacked the shadow from the side, hitting it in the neck with a clean shot from her blade. Enraged but unhurt the shadow turned, knocked Gambol Shroud aside with its sword, then leveled the rifle that formed its sheath at Blake. Blake knew it was coming and slid to the side, leaving a double to take the hit. The shadow slashed at her and she back-flipped out of range, leaving behind another double. The shadow stopped just short of hitting the double. It jumped back then shot it, causing it to explode. Blake jumped forward, deflected the shadow's rifle away with her sheath and sliced across with her blade. The shadow caught the blade with its own then lunged forward, headbutting Blake. It motioned as if to stab at her and she jumped aside, leaving another double. It was only a feint. The shadow leveled its rifle and blasted Blake in the chest. The shot knocked her off her feet and onto her back.

Weiss had not been idle, a fact the shadow only now noticed. A huge chunk of ice hung in the air, held in place with a glyph. Weiss smiled and waved her hand. The glyph disappeared and the sheet of ice crashed down on top of the shadow. Weiss made another gesture and an icy fist rose from the ground and grabbed the stunned shadow and lifted it into the air. Blake took aim and emptied her pistol into the shadow as it struggled to get free. Weiss summoned a glyph that fired more projectiles at it. The shadow began to glow red.

"Get back!" Blake shouted. She took off running away from the shadow and Weiss followed suit, each ending up on an opposite side of the arena. The shadow suddenly shot down, obliterating the ice as it went. It struck the ground hard enough to crater it, landing in a crouch.

"I'm done playing games." The shadow declared. With incredible speed it crossed the arena and attacked Blake. She blocked a vertical slash from its sword by using both halves of her weapon, the dove out of the way as the shadow fired its rifle into the double she left behind. Blake lunged forward for a counterattack but the shadow was ready. It ducked under her strike, grabbed her legs and pulled them, slamming Blake onto her back. She slashed at the shadow from the ground but it deflected the strike. It pressed its rifle to Blake's chest and fired. Blake's aura failed as she slid back across the arena floor.

Weiss arrived in time to make the save, Myrtenaster lancing a line of fire into the shadow's back. The shadow snapped around and fired its rifle. Weiss hurriedly summoned a glyph to block the shot. The shadow charged, passing through where Weiss' glyph had been just as it faded. It hacked at her with its rifle. Weiss blocked the shot but it was powerful enough to spin her around. The shadow grabbed her by the hair and tugged her to the ground. It stabbed down at her and she used Myrtenaster to knock the shadow's sword aside. She was unable to block as it slammed its rifle into the side of her head. Her aura failed in a shimmer of light.

Blake jumped on the shadow's back, trying to slit its throat with her blade while using the other half of Gambol Shroud to keep from hitting her. The shadow struggled to shake her off, stumbling away from Weiss as she groggily staggered to her feet. With a quick turn the shadow managed to shift Blake more to the side then hit her in the stomach with an elbow. Blake fell off and doubled over. The shadow raised its blade over its head and brought it crashing down. Blake rolled back and out of the way, leaving an icy double behind. The shadow struck the double and its blade was trapped. Weiss summoned a glyph beneath the shadow's feet and ice erupted to encase its legs.

"Finish it!" Blake called.

Weiss charged at the shadow's back, skating on her glyphs, while Blake rushed at its front. Weiss ran Myrtenaster through the shadow's torso with surprising ease as Blake slashed across its neck, severing its head. Gambol Shroud sailed out of Blake's hand and over Weiss' shoulder, nicking her skin as it flew.

"Careful Blake!" Weiss admonished. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash. "Blake?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I have now finished writing this fic and expect to release three chapters a week until it's all out. After 356 pages and about 8 months of work, it's done. Now the question is what to write next. I have a few non-RWBY things in mind but nothing solid on that's RWBY-related. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Want to see a particular story-line, AU or crossover? Let me know and I might give it a shot.**


	48. Horatius

Chapter 48

"Blake?!" Weiss shouted, growing more and more alarmed. She could still not see her teammate through the cloud of ash that had once been the shadow but she already knew something was wrong.

As the ash evaporated away it revealed a horrifying scene. Myrtenaster had lanced straight through the shadow, out the other side and into Blake. With bulging eyes and an expression of terror, Blake stared down at the blade buried in her chest. The pair stood there in shock as the red stain on the front of Blake's shirt grew. Finally Weiss withdrew the blade, its tip soaked in blood. Blake wobbled for a moment before he legs gave out. Weiss dropped Myrtenaster and darted forward, catching Blake as she fell. Weiss knelt, propping Blake up on her legs. Blake moved her mouth as if to speak but produced no sound.

"Blake, I'm so sorry." Weiss cried. "Come on, you'll be alright." She pressed her hands hard against the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "Please be alright." Weiss implored as blood oozed through her fingers. The bleeding slowed along with Blake's breathing. It was a bad sign. Blake reached up toward Weiss' face but her hand suddenly dropped. Her eyes glazed over and her breathing ceased. "No…" Weiss sobbed, hugging Blake's body tightly to her.

"I guess the shadow was right." Thanatos taunted. "You're every bit your father's daughter. What better way to prove it than to kill a Faunus who considered you a friend?"

"Shut up!" Weiss screamed. "It was an accident! You saw it."

"I saw you murder your _friend_ in cold blood." Thanatos said.

"No, it wasn't like that." Weiss protested. "I would never hurt her."

"And yet here we are." Thanatos countered. "She's dead, a wound made by your blade in her chest."

"I didn't mean to." Weiss wept.

"Prove it." Thanatos said. "There's only one way to atone for this. There's only one way to prove that this is an accident, that she really was your friend, that you're different than your father. Fall on your sword. Mix your blood with hers. Then who could deny your regret?"

With tears streaming down her face Weiss looked back, hoping the others would be rushing to her side. The ramp to them had not formed. They remained trapped by the invisible barrier that surrounded the arena. She could see them shouting, screaming and crying, banging on the invisible wall. "Blake…" Weiss trailed off. She looked to the ground at her side. Myrtenaster lie there, soaked in BLake's blood. It was not fit for the purpose. She lay Blake flat on the ground as gently as possible, running her hand over Blake's face to close her eyes. She could not bear to look into them any longer. She got up and walked over to where Gambol Shroud had come to rest. Weiss took it in hand and carried it back to Blake's body. Standing over the corpse she held the sword to her throat.

"Do it." Thanatos encouraged. "Atone for your sins! For your family's sins!"

Weiss stood for several seconds, unable to do the deed. A voice in the back of her mind told her to stop even as Thanatos egged her on. Surely she deserved death for what she had done. No, that was not right. Surely she was to blame. No, that could not be. She slowly lowered the blade to her side before letting it drop to the floor. "I won't do it." She declared.

"Then you're a coward and a murderer." Thanatos said. "Only suicide can cleanse your soul."

"You killed Blake you monster!" Weiss screamed. "If it wasn't for you none of us would be here! Blake would be alive! The others would be alive! You're the coward! You won't even face us yourself. Get down here now so I can kill you." In her fury she picked up Myrtenaster and began launching blasts of fire at Thanatos. It was futile, the attacks broke on the invisible barrier long before reaching their target. She summoned glyphs, firing everything she had but it was no use. Physically and mentally exhausted, she fell to her knees and cried.

Thanatos, having looked rather smug before, now shifted to a look of contemplation. "No matter, I will have your soul soon enough." He said. Blake's body lifted off the ground. Weiss reached out to it but it was too far away. She fell to all-fours and continued sobbing. The body floated to where the other corpses rested and settled down beside them. A white sheet appeared and floated down to cover it.

The ramp from the arena floor finally appeared allowing Ruby and Yang to rush to Weiss' side. They knelt on either side of her, each grabbing an arm. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Weiss cried. "I didn't mean to. I...I'm sorry."

"It was an accident." Yang said shedding tears of her own. "It's not your fault."

"Weiss, don't hurt yourself, please." Ruby bawled. "I can't lose another friend."

"This is a touching show of support and all, but do it outside the arena." Thanatos said. "That blood will be hell to clean up if it dries."

Ruby and Yang shot rage-filled looks at Thanatos before helping Weiss to her feet. "Can you walk?" Yang asked.

"Please get off of me." Weiss sniffled.

"First promise you won't hurt yourself." Ruby demanded.

"I promise." Weiss said. "Now let go."

Ruby and Yang exchanged glances and Yang released Weiss. She picked up the still bloody Myrtenaster before Ruby let go. With her head down Weiss, her combat skirt soaked with blood, stomped out of the arena, took the first seat she came to and covered her face with her hands. Ruby and Yang sat on either side of her and they all cried together. Team J_PR gathered around but there was little they could do but shed their own tears. There seemed to be nothing to say that had not already been said. Things had been going so well only for the tragedies to pile on, one after the other. There seemed no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel, just a rapidly growing collection of corpses and increasingly distraught friends left behind.

Yu stood some distance away from RW_Y and J_PR, a hardened expression on his face. Whatever he was feeling, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it. "I wish I knew what to say." He sighed. "I always know what to say."

"Maybe the best thing to say is nothing at all." Naoto suggested. "I don't think they would care what you said unless it was that they were getting their friend back."

"We know what happens when people long for happy lies." Yu said. The desire for self-deception belied Inaba's shadow incident. Yu noticed Rise standing behind him. She was trembling. "What is it?" He asked as he turned around.

Rise embraced him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm next." She said. "I'm next to die."

"Don't say that." Yu said. "You'll be fine. I know you can do this."

"I was supposed to have Yosuke with me but now I'm fighting alone." Rise said, her voice wavering. "There's no way."

"Come on, if you go in believing that you won't have a chance." Yu said. "You're much stronger than you think. You have to believe that."

"I just wanted to say goodbye." Rise wept. "I love you."

"Rise please." Yu said. "You can do this. You'll make it, I know you will."

Rise backed away from Yu then hugged Naoto. "You're my best friend." She said. "You're the person I can trust with anything. Thank you."

"Rise, don't say it." Naoto implored, her eyes filling with tears.

"Goodbye." Rise said. She backed away. "I'm so glad I got to meet both of you. I never could have become who I am today without you."

"You also wouldn't be about to die without them." Thanatos said. "Rise Kujikawa, your time has come."

"Try not to miss me too much." Rise said. She dragged her arm across her face to wipe away her tears then picked up her weapon and descended the ramp to the arena floor. She did her best to retain her composure as she waited for her opponent.

"I understand that on Earth recycling is very important." Thanatos said. "I think you'll appreciate my efforts."

Rather than the usual swirling mass of shadow goo, a single glob rose from the arena floor and immediately resolved into a copy of Yu. It had some troubling features. A gash on its face and a wound in its gut continuously oozed black liquid that was quickly reabsorbed. "It's the shadow that killed Yosuke." Rise groaned.

"How very observant!" Thanatos said. "I hoped you would notice."

"One by one, I'll get you all." The shadow hissed. "Until I get my chance to kill the man himself. Then I'll become the real Yu Narukami. With each kill I get stronger, just like you do."

"Even if you kill me you'll never be strong enough to kill Yu." Rise said. "He'll destroy you."

"Giving up already?" The shadow asked. "I was hoping for a fight but I wouldn't mind it if you made things easier. Now please, if you'd kneel here, I'll make your end quick and painless."

"I won't just lay down and die." Rise said. "You won't take me before I make you suffer."

"Have it your way." The shadow shrugged. "I'll be happy to torture you to death while your friends watch." The shadow stretched out its hand and lightning flew from its fingertips. Rise was already dodging. She pointed her spear at the ground and fired, launching her into the air and out of the lightning's path. In midair she converted her weapon into its laser form. As soon as she landed Rise aimed and fired the laser into the shadow's face. It covered its eyes with its hand as the powerful beam blinded it. With the shadow unable to see, Rise charged, converting her weapon back into a spear as she ran. She spun around and slammed the spear point into the shadow's stomach, firing as she did. The shadow was thrown off its feet and rolled across the floor.

Rise took a few steps toward the downed shadow but pulled up well short just before it unleashed a blast of electricity that surrounded it. It got to its feet as Rise waited just out of range of the charge. The shadow ran at her and she ducked under a horizontal slash of its blade. It immediately swung the blade overhead and brought it straight down at her but she got her own weapon up to block with time to spare. Pushing forward Rise kicked the shadow in the groin. It just laughed. She tried to back up and out of range of its incoming punch but was not fast enough. The blow landed on the side of her head, spun her around and left her dazed.

The shadow reached back with its free hand then thrust it forward charged with electricity. The charged palm strike hit Rise in the lower back and sent her flying across the arena. She landed on her side and skidded into the retaining wall. The shadow did not bother pressing the attack. "You can't win." The shadow said. "It's not too late to give up. Make it easier on both of us."

Propping herself up against the wall, Rise stood. She converted her weapon into its laser form and took aim. The shadow covered its eyes with its free arm, lifted its sword high and charged. Rise was not targeting its eyes this time. She focused on its blade, aiming for and hitting a spot near the hilt, keeping it focused as the shadow closed in. Just before the shadow got to her she quickly converted her weapon back to a spear. The shadow unleashed a mighty downward swing of its sword. The blade, having been melted by the laser, flew off as soon as it began its attack. Swiping forward with no blade and therefore hitting nothing, the shadow stumbled off balance, almost falling over forward. Rise had already planted the butt of her spear against her foot as the shadow's face conveniently moved into place just in front of the tip.

Rise fired, sending the shadow tumbling upward in a high arc. She raced forward to where it would land and planted her spear again. Just before it hit the ground she fired. The spear rapidly extended and struck the shadow in the chest, launching it into the wall Rise had so recently hit. The impact was sufficient to shatter the stone and left the shadow motionless on the floor. Rise charged in to finish it off but realized it was not even stunned. She tried to stop, sliding across the stone floor. Abandoning its now useless weapon, the shadow stretched both hands out toward her, unleashing a spectacular blast of electricity. Rise was unable to dodge. She writhed as the current surged through her. When the shadow finally relented Rise crumpled to the ground.

The shadow walked toward her casually. "You see, I told you." The shadow said, a cocky smile on its face. "You should have just given up. Now you're going to suffer." Rise lay motionless as the shadow approached. "I think I'll start with your hands…" The shadow kicked one of Rise's arms away so that it lay extended, flat on the ground. It raised its foot and stomped on her fingers. Rise did not react. "Oh, did I knock you out? Such a shame. I wanted you to feel it. I guess there's no point in prolonging this." The shadow raised its foot over Rise's head.

Rise's eyes snapped open and she rolled out of the way as the shadow stomped down. It stumbled forward as Rise leapt to her feet and stabbed her spear at its chest. It smacked the weapon away hard enough to spin Rise around then wrapped her in a bear hug from behind. Rise struggled to maneuver her spear to attack but the shadow got its hands on the weapon too, forcing it into position aimed at Rise. Rise struggled to push the weapon away as the shadow forced her harder onto the spear point, using its arms to hold it in place while using its weight to force her down. Rise's aura was about to fail and she knew it. Once that happened, she knew she would not be strong enough to keep herself off the point.

Rise looked up to the others watching in horror and picked out Yu. "I'm sorry." She said, staring at him. "Goodbye." She reached down to her weapon's trigger. "I'm taking you with me!" She screamed at the shadow. She pulled the trigger and the spear extended passing completely through both Rise and the shadow before suddenly snapping back to its original position. The shadow released her and stumbled away, black liquid now oozing from gaping wounds in its torso. Rise fell limply to the ground beside her weapon. The shadow looked up at Thanatos. Thanatos nodded and the shadow melted back into the ground.

The ramp formed allowing Yu and Naoto to rush into the arena. Yu knelt at Rise's side, doing his best to prop her up in as comfortable a position as possible. Naoto stood nearby, having great difficulty looking at her wounded friend. "Rise…" Yu said, his voice trembling.

"I didn't kill it, did I?" Rise groaned.

"I don't care." Yu said, tears dripping down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, for dragging you into this, for not being as good a friend as I could have, for everything." He felt guilty for not realizing just how strongly Rise had felt about him. He felt guilty for not being able to protect her.

"Don't be sorry." Rise said. "You didn't drag me anywhere. Even though it ends like this, I would do it all over again. And you were a great friend, the best. I know you and Naoto are going to be really happy together."

"I don't think I'll ever be happy." Yu wept. "Not after this."

"No, you have to be happy." Rise insisted. "I never want you to think of me and feel sad. That goes for you too Naoto."

"But...I…" Naoto sobbed. She felt guilty too. It was Naoto that had kept Rise and Yu apart, unintentionally of course, but still. Rise thought of Naoto as her best friend and Naoto shared that opinion, but she had not noticed Rise's feelings. Now it was too late. "I'm sorry."

"No buts, no apologies." Rise said. "I just want you two to be happy." She grabbed Yu's hand. "Promise me." She demanded. She reached out to Naoto with her other hand. Naoto knelt at her side and held it. "Both of you promise you'll be happy."

"I promise." Yu choked through his tears.

"I...I promise." Naoto stammered.

"We'll all meet again, someday." Rise said, her voice reduced to a barely audible whisper. "I know we will. So until then, goodbye." Rise exhaled heavily and her grip on her friends' hands loosened. She did not inhale.

Sobbing hysterically Naoto got up and ran out of the arena. Even after all the things she had seen, all the things she had done, it was too much for her. Yu stayed with the body for a moment. He kissed her forehead then laid her flat on her back, folding her hands over the fatal wound. He waited there as the body levitated away to where the others lay. A white sheet appeared above it and gently floated down to cover it.

Yu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wiped his tears on his sleeve before standing and facing Thanatos. "You'll pay." He said.

"Is that a threat?" Thanatos asked.

"It's a promise." Yu said flatly.

"You should never make a promise you can't keep." Thanatos taunted. "Now then, your time will come. Until then, depart the arena."

"And your time will come." Yu said. "Enjoy your gloating while you can."

Yu walked up the ramp and out of the arena. He found Naoto crying uncontrollably, flanked by Pyrrha and Aigis, both of whom were trying without success to calm her down. "It should have been me." Naoto cried. "I'm a terrible person. I hurt her so much and I couldn't even see it. I'm a damn detective and I couldn't see that my friend was in pain."

Yu grabbed the side of Naoto's head and pressed his forehead to hers. "We promised Rise we would be happy." He said in a soothing voice. "We have to at least try. If we keep beating ourselves up, that's never happen. We all make mistakes and the sad fact is that we usually end up hurting the ones we care about most. We just have to do our best."

"What if my best isn't enough?" Naoto sobbed.

"I've been asking myself the same thing." Yu admitted as he began to cry once again. "Whether it is or not, it's all we've got to give. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I'm going to make this right, by her, by Yosuke, by all the others. But the only way I can do that is with your help. I need you with me. I need you to believe in yourself. I need you to believe in me. Can you do that?"

"I can try." Naoto choked.

"That's all I can ask." Yu said. "That's all anyone can ask."


	49. Patroclus

Chapter 49

"Pyrrha." Jaune said.

Pyrrha was doing her best to help comfort Naoto but Yu seemed to be the only one getting through anyway. "What?" She asked.

"We're up next." Jaune replied. "Shouldn't we talk about this?"

Pyrrha nodded and stood up. She and Jaune walked away from the others. "Do you want to talk strategy?" Pyrrha asked. "That's simple. You defend while I attack. I defend while you attack. We can't really come up with a more specific plan until we know what we're up against."

"That's part of it." Jaune said. "I wanted to make sure we were on the same page." He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again and squirmed.

"What's the other part?" Pyrrha pressed.

"I...I know I'm not a good fighter." Jaune answered.

"Don't say that, you've been improving a lot." Pyrrha encouraged.

"That's not the point." Jaune said. "I'm not nearly as good as you. I'm afraid I'll be in the way. This is a matter of life and death, and I don't want anyone to die because of me."

"If you're that worried just hang back and let me handle the fight." Pyrrha suggested.

"I don't want to be dead weight either." Jaune said. "I know I'm in over my head, here and back at Beacon. I just want to be a hero worthy of my family. What kind of hero would I be if I just let you do everything?"

"You're already a hero to me." Pyrrha said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"But I'm not a hero to me." Jaune countered, brushing her hand off. "Maybe this isn't the time to worry about all that, but I don't want to let myself down."

"Just do what you think is right." Pyrrha said. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

"I was sure the others would do fine too." Jaune sighed. "I'd still rather end up like them than see anyone else die."

"Jaune, you're not going to die." Pyrrha insisted. She placed both hands on Jaune's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "No one else is going to die."

"You seem very sure of that." Jaune said.

"I have to be." Pyrrha said. "It's the only way I can keep going."

"We'll see if your delusions can get you bye." Thanatos said. "Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos, enter the arena."

Jaune hesitated. "You're going to be okay." Pyrrha said. Pyrrha headed down the ramp to the arena floor, Jaune following closely.

"Who can defeat the _invincible girl_?" Thanatos sneered. "The answer is obvious." Shadow material swirled up from the arena floor.

"It's me." Pyrrha said, even before the shadow finished forming.

"Very good Ms. Nikos." Thanatos said in a condescending tone. "This shadow is identical to you in every way. Well, except one. It has an insatiable bloodlust."

"If it's a copy of me, how can it hope to defeat both of us?" Pyrrha asked.

"That's simple." Thanatos said. "I'm betting your partner will be enough of a hindrance to get you both killed. You know it's true. Even he knows."

Jaune stared at his feet, clearly feeling the shame. "Don't listen to him." Pyrrha said.

"Yes, don't listen to me." Thanatos said. "Keep ignoring reality. Surely that will save you."

"Jaune." Pyrrha said. Jaune just kept looking down. "Jaune!" Pyrrha repeated. He looked up at her. "Do you remember what we practiced?"

"I do." Jaune replied.

"Good." Pyrrha said. "Let's put it in action." Jaune was hesitant but Pyrrha's encouraging smile eventually got him to break out of his despair. He drew his sword and extended his shield, ducking behind it. "Bend you knees a little more." Pyrrha suggested. Jaune quickly corrected his stance as Pyrrha drew her weapons and readied for battle. "Don't be nervous. Keep your eyes on the target. We've got this. You've got this." Jaune nodded, a newfound determination in his eyes.

"How cute, he thinks he's a Huntsman." The shadow laughed.

"Advance." Pyrrha commanded. Jaune moved forward at a quick but measured pace, ducking behind his shield. Pyrrha followed close behind, aiming her rifle over the top and taking shots at the shadow. "Charge!" Pyrrha shouted. WIth his shield out front Jaune broke into a sprint while Pyrrha moved off to the right. The shadow threw its spear at Jaune. He deflected it up with his shield and kept running. Using its copy of Pyrrha's semblance, the shadow steadied the airborne spear and forced it down toward Jaune. Jaune did not even notice but Pyrrha did and she used her power to ensure it missed. Jaune plowed into the shadow, the opponents meeting shield to shield. The shadow rocked back but absorbed the blow and lunged forward, knocking Jaune off his feet to a sitting position. The shadow reached out toward its spear and it lifted into the air and shot toward Jaune.

Jaune realized what was happening and lay down flat on his back to let the spear pass over him. The shadow caught the weapon and stabbed down at Jaune. Pyrrha arrived to deflect the spear to the side with her own. The shadow responded by swinging its shield at Pyrrha but she ducked under the strike and elbowed the shadow in the chin. The shadow stumbled back, giving Jaune the opportunity to get back to his feet. Pyrrha and the shadow used mirroring attacks and blocks, each catching spear on shield. They began a perfectly even test of strength until Pyrrha rolled back. With the sudden loss of resistance the shadow tripped forward. Jaune stepped up and bashed the shadow in the face with his shield, then stabbed at its chest with his sword. The shadow swung its shield across its body and knocked the sword aside. Drawing the shield back, it smashed it into the side of Jaune's head.

Jaune stumbled dizzily to the side. The shadow planted its boot on his back and sent him sprawling to the floor. Pyrrha lunged forward with a leaping stab that passed over the shadow's shoulder, affected by its semblance. It tried to stab Pyrrha in the midsection but she used her own semblance to slow the spear sufficiently to block it with her shield. She thrust her shield up and out, smacking the shadow in the face. It shrugged off the attack and kicked Pyrrha in the shin. She stumbled, leaning her arm against the shadow's shoulder to on her feet. The shadow spun and backhanded her in the head with its shield. Pyrrha front-flipped and landed on her back. The shadow stabbed down at her but she grabbed its wrist and dragged it down so that both ended up on their backs.

Pyrrha and the shadow rolled away from each other, immediately springing to their feet. Pyrrha began to charge at the shadow but Jaune stepped in the way and engaged it himself. Pyrrha broke off her attack as Jaune unleashed a wild flurry of sword strikes. The shadow easily deflected the strikes, tied up his sword with its spear then repeatedly bashed him in the face with its shield until his aura failed in a shimmer of light. Rushing in, Pyrrha used her semblance to push the shadow's spear wide as it sought to impale him. Saved for now, she used her semblance to use Jaune's armor to push him out of harm's way. Pyrrha only realized belatedly that the shadow had used its semblance to force her shield out of position.

The shadow stabbed at Pyrrha with its spear and Pyrrha the attack wide with her own. With her shield out of position Pyrrha had no way to block the shadow's. It hit her full-force in the face. She saw double and stumbled back. The shadow lunged forward, simultaneously hitting her with spear and shield, and sent her flying across the arena. Pyrrha slammed into the retaining wall hard enough to defeat her aura. She slumped to the ground, having great difficulty staying conscious after her head slammed the wall.

The shadow began stomping toward Pyrrha but Jaune attacked it from behind. His sword struck the shadow dead-center in the back but it did not penetrate. The shadow turned around and pushed his sword aside with its shield. It headbutted Jaune and he staggered back. The shadow thrust its spear straight for his throat. There was a blinding flash of light and the shadow was thrown back with all the force it had put into the attack. Enraged, the shadow leapt forward, and swinging its spear underhand, thrust the blade under Jaune's chestplate and into his torso. Jaune flailed weakly until the shadow withdrew its blade, letting him drop to the ground in an ever-growing puddle of blood.

Pyrrha could not get back to her feet. Her limbs would not cooperate and she could not see straight. She suspected a concussion, but it did not really matter how she was injured. If she could not clear the cobwebs she would be dead anyway. The shadow walked over to her, just as Pyrrha got to her hands and knees. She tried to cover up as the shadow kicked, but it punted her straight in the chest, flipping her onto her back. The shadow flipped its grip on its spear and thrust it down at Pyrrha's heart. She tied up the weapon with her spear and shield, stopping it just in time. The shadow put all its muscle and weight into forcing the blade down while Pyrrha used all her failing strength to resist. It was a losing battle and she knew it. Suddenly, the shadow stumbled back, almost falling over.

Trailing blood, Jaune had crawled over. With a slash of his sword he knocked the high heel off the shadow's boot. "I'll finish you soon enough!" The shadow shouted. It kicked Jaune over onto his back then stomped its damaged boot onto his wound. Jaune cried in agony but could do nothing. "When I'm done with your teammate, I'll get to you." The shadow hissed. It spit on Jaune before turning back to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha was on her feet, her spear arm back and cocked. With the throw lined up she launched her spear. It hit the shadow in the neck before it could react, coming to a stop only after lodging itself halfway through. The shadow reached up to grab the spear but Pyrrha got her hands on it at the same time. She wrenched the blade out the side of the shadow's neck and its head lolled over unnaturally far to the other side. The shadow burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped. He had rolled onto his side, curled up and clutching his wound. Pyrrha knelt at his side. "Let me see." She demanded, pulling Jaune's hands away. The wound was even larger than she had feared and its upward angle took it behind his ribcage. It was a miracle he was still alive.

"How did I do?" Jaune groaned.

"You did great." Pyrrha said, doing what she could to attend to his injuries. She knew just applying pressure and holding the sides together was not going to be enough. "I'm not worried about that now."

"I know I'm dying." Jaune said. "You don't have to pretend there's anything you can do."

"I'm not pretending." Pyrrha said, choking back tears. "I'm going to save you."

"Tell me, was I a hero?" Jaune asked.

"Of course, you saved my life." Pyrrha replied.

"I feel like I probably put it in danger in the first place, but okay." Jaune coughed. "I'm glad it wasn't just you protecting me for once."

"Don't give up Jaune." Pyrrha implored. "I can't keep going without you."

"Sure you can." Jaune said. "If anything you can't keep going _with_ me." He cried out and his muscles tensed. "It really hurts. I feel like a wuss. I can't even die with dignity."

"Don't say that." Pyrrha sobbed.

"You're destined for greatness." Jaune said. "You don't need me. You're going to save the world. You're going to be the hero. Now you won't have me holding you back. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried. She bent over and embraced him.

"Don't ever give up." Jaune whispered. "Don't ever change." He convulsed, groaned, then fell silent and still.

"No…" Pyrrha wept.

"You loved him didn't you?" Thanatos asked.

"Shut up." Pyrrha said. "Just leave me alone."

"It must hurt you terribly." Thanatos said. "You couldn't save him." Pyrrha did not respond. "It's not too late you know."

Pyrrha looked up, tears streaming down her face. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I'm offering you a chance to bring him back." Thanatos explained.

"What's the catch?" Pyrrha asked. "You're not just going to do it."

"Of course I would require compensation." Thanatos said. "Here's the deal: I will revive him, in perfect health, if you take his place in death."

"Why should I trust you?" Pyrrha asked. "You could just kill me too."

"Since this started I haven't lied to you." Thanatos said. "Just say the word. His life will resume and yours will end. There'll be no pain, I promise."

"No." Pyrrha said without hesitation.

"You would selfishly continue your life rather than restore his?" Thanatos asked.

"You know he's weaker than I am." Pyrrha said. "We both do. If I sacrifice myself for him, the others are more likely to die. The world will be one step closer to destruction. I have to bear the pain and guilt of his death. I'm not going to take the easy way out just to avoid that."

"If that's your choice…" Thanatos said. He waved his hand and Jaune's body levitated up and out of the arena, coming to rest with the others. A white sheet appeared in the air above it, gently laying over it.

Pyrrha slowly made her way out of the arena. She did not want the others to see her crying. "I'm so sorry." Yang said as Pyrrha approached.

Pyrrha barely looked up. Then her head snapped back up and she stared at Weiss. "Weiss…" She started.

"I know, I should have been nicer to Jaune." Weiss said. "You don't have to lecture me. I feel bad enough as it is."

"No, your skirt." Pyrrha said, pointing at her.

"What about it?" Weiss asked, looking down.

"There's no blood." Pyrrha pointed out. "The only stain is from the cut on your shoulder."

"But that...how?" Weiss asked, shocked.

"Aigis, Yu, Naoto, Ren, none of you have any blood on you." Pyrrha said. She looked down at her own hands. "I don't either." She ran her fingers through her own hair, producing a few flakes of dried blood near the head wound she had suffered in her first fight. "My blood is still there, but…"

"What's going on?" Naoto asked. "How did we not notice this earlier?"

Pyrrha looked back into the arena. The puddle of blood Jaune had left on the floor was still there. Then it suddenly soaked into the ground, leaving no trace. "They're doing it." Pyrrha said as she pointed to Thanatos and his siblings.

"But what are they doing?" Naoto asked.

"Maybe it has something to do with absorbing our power." Aigis suggested. "Perhaps it is not enough to kill. He may need our blood as well."

"That's possible, but if our blood has power why not take the blood the survivors shed too?" Yu said. "There has to be more to it."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Ren said.

"We shouldn't waste our time speculating." Pyrrha said, effectively ending the discussion. "The last time we got distracted by our questions it ended badly. Besides, one of us needs attention." Pyrrha pointed to Ruby. She was sobbing alone.

"Ruby?" Yang said, placing her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"He was my friend." Ruby cried. "And Blake was my friend and they were all my friends. Why did they have to die?"

"I'm sorry you had to go through this." Yang said, wrapping Ruby in one of her smothering hugs. Uncharacteristically, Ruby did not complain.

"It hurts so much." Ruby sobbed. "It feels like losing mom all over again."

"I know, I know." Yang said in a soothing a voice as she could muster. "I wish there was something I could do to make it all better."

"Please just...no one else die." Ruby cried. "I can't take it."

"We are not going to die." Aigis said. "No one else is going to die. We will win our fight. You will win yours. Naoto and Yu will win theirs. Then Thanatos will give us our friends back, or he will suffer."

"Aigis...are you alright?" Naoto asked. Aigis was an impossibly kind, sweet person. Threatening to torture Thanatos, evil though he was, was out of character for her.

"No." Aigis replied. "I have seen the pain Thanatos has caused. I have felt it. He must pay."

"If it changes who you are, I don't think it's worth it." Yu warned.

"I am a weapon, designed and built to fight monsters." Aigis said. "I will make an example of Thanatos, lest another monster rise in his place. I have more friends back home and I will not allow them to feel what we have felt. I cannot stand to see the pain any longer."

"Sister, whatever you do, don't stop bein' you." Labrys said. "I love my sister and I don't want to see her so hurt that it changes her."

"I am still the same Aigis." She said. "But now is not the time for compassion. When we are done here, I will be just as kindhearted as always. Until then I can have no reservations."

"Don't do anything you'll regret." Pyrrha warned.

"We all have regrets." Aigis sighed. "None can be greater than those I already bear. Now is not the time to worry about that though. When the world is safe, I will have plenty of time. We all will."


	50. Eris

Chapter 50

"You sound very confident Aigis." Thanatos said. "That's good. You know what they say, pride comes before the fall. It's time for you and your sister to fight."

The anger etched into Aigis' face was rare and terrifying. She walked into the arena with Labrys following. "You saw what I did to your last creation." Aigis said. "I will do the same to any shadow you conjure up."

"About that, I had a few ideas." Thanatos said. "I was planning to power up a shadow by killing your friends, but its hubris led to its destruction. It having Makoto's face was just a bonus."

"If you want me to fight a shadow that looks like Makoto, go ahead and summon one." Aigis said.

"As I said, the shadow I intended to use on you was destroyed." Thanatos said. "I doubt a shadow could stand against the two of you. You're probably the two strongest fighters here. Luckily, I have just the opponent in mind." Thanatos turned to Eris. "Have you completed your task?" He gestured toward the line of covered corpses. "I don't want my plans to be ruined if you're killed and your powers are lost."

"Of course I have completed my task, brother." Eris replied. "You have far too little faith in my abilities. I will crush them."

"Hubris, sister." Thanatos warned. "It will be the downfall of us all."

"What are two hunks of scrap before a god?" Eris said.

"She has the power." Thanatos said.

"So do I." Eris said. She stepped forward and leapt down from the emperor's box and into the arena.

"Don't fail me!" Thanatos shouted.

Eris laughed. "No mortal can stand before me." She declared. A blinding light surrounded Eris. When it faded her appearance had changed. Her white gown had transformed into a tight red bodysuit and he skin, already pale, seemed impossibly white. Her black hair, once long and flowing, was now closely cropped. The fingers on her left hand had transformed into long, sharp claws. In her right hand she now held what looked like an H&K SL8 with long, curved bayonet. Something about the proportions of the gun was wrong. Aigis looked closely and was able to determine it was chambered for .50 caliber rounds. Between the claws and gun, Eris was an intimidating opponent. Still, Aigis and Labrys suspected Eris' conventional weapons would be the least of their worries.

Aigis leveled her arms at Eris and fired the guns built into her fingers. The bullets streaked across the arena only to stop suddenly and float in the air just in front of the god. Eris smiled, collecting all the bullets fired her way until Aigis' magazines ran dry. Eris waved her claw toward the sisters and the floating bullets launched out toward them like canister shot from a cannon. Aigis and Labrys dove out of the way but took a few hits to their auras. Shooting from the hip but with perfect aim, Eris loosed a few shots of her own at Aigis who managed to dodge them all, closing the distance between them with each move.

As Aigis got close Eris' gun transformed into a sickle sword which she used to hack at the robot. Aigis blocked the strike with her heavily armored forearm and grabbed Eris' claw arm by the wrist. Labrys had been maneuvering to attack as well and now brought her axe crashing down at Eris while she was tied up. Eris pulled back causing the axe to strike her and Aigis' arms, breaking the grip. The god reached out her claw toward Labrys and electricity flew from the tips. Labrys was hit and convulsed in place. With a sweep of her other arm Eris unleashed a blast of wind that sent Aigis flying backward. She sailed halfway across the arena, landed on her feet and skidded to a stop.

Eris turned her attention to Labrys. Labrys recovered almost as soon as the electric attack ceased but her aura still took several shots from Eris' rifle before she was able to close the distance and attack. Labrys swung her axe around horizontally and Eris caught the blow with her weapon, now a sword again. The god jabbed her claws at Labrys, her aura taking the hit. Labrys used the boosters on her body and axe to push forward. She and Eris flew across the arena until Eris' back slammed into the retaining wall, shattering the stone. Still their position was unchanged, Labrys' axe tied up by Eris' sword and Eris' claws jabbing Labrys in the midsection. The Eris was gone. Labrys stumbled forward then spun around just in time for Eris to grab her by the shoulders. Electricity course through them both. Labrys writhed and her aura failed under the direct assault.

Aigis wrapped her arms around Eris' stomach, yanked back and threw her into a crushing suplex. Eris slammed down on her head but immediately leapt back to her feet. Aigis thrust both forearms toward Eris, unleashing a torrent of flames. The god ignored the fire and lunged forward, knocking Aigis' arms aside with her sword and slashing directly at her with her claws. Aigis jumped back and out of range of the swipe. She pointed her hand at Eris' feet and ice rose out of the ground to surround them. As Eris struggled to free herself Aigis crouched down then sprung up, hitting Eris in the chin with an uppercut that launched the god straight up into the air. The momentum of Aigis' attack meant she leapt up as well. Eris slashed at her furiously with sword and claw, Aigis deftly blocking the strikes until she saw her opening. With both of Eris' weapons out of position Aigis slammed her fist down on top of the god's head. Eris was sent rocketing to the ground, forming a sizable crater on impact.

Before Aigis landed Eris was up again. With a swipe of her arm she formed a whirlwind that trapped Aigis in the air. With another gesture Aigis went flying to the far side of the arena. Labrys raced at Eris and swung her axe. Eris stepped forward so the shaft hit her rather than the blade and caught the weapon under her arm. She hooked Labrys' neck in the curve of her sword and grabbed Labrys' arm with her claw hand. With a twist Labrys' shoulder popped in a shower of sparks. Labrys dropped her axe and Eris kicked her in the chest. Labrys tumbled onto her back, her shoulder a mass of rended metal and sparking wires. Eris jumped up and, somehow falling faster than gravity, slammed down feet-first on Labrys' torso. Labrys shrieked in pain as a large crack spread across her armor. Eris forced her claw into the crack, widening it to reveal the vulnerable machinery beneath.

A blast of wind pushed Eris aside. Eris turned to face the approaching Aigis and let loose a gale of her own. Slowed but not stopped, Aigis continued to advance. Eris rapidly cycled through attacks, wind, fire, electricity, ice, wind again, but nothing stopped Aigis. Aigis punctuated her methodical advance with a sudden burst of speed. She kneed Eris in the face and front-flipped over her. Bending backwards, Aigis grabbed Eris under the arms and flung her forward, slamming her into the arena wall. For the first time Eris stumbled as she got up. Aigis was immediately upon her. Eris swung her sword around but Aigis caught her wrist. She squeezed until she felt and heard bones snap and Eris dropped the blade. Eris desperately attacked with her claws but Aigis caught that wrist too. Twisting Eris' arm around, she impaled her through the stomach with her own claws.

Eris fell to her knees, crying in agony as she drew her claws out. The wounds oozed black, shadow-like goo. Aigis jumped back and raised both hands over her head. A brilliant light appeared above Eris. Aigis lowered her hands, the light descended and struck Eris, and there was a blinding flash accompanied by a thunderous roar. When the light faded Eris lay motionless on the ground. Aigis stomped over and lifted Eris by the throat. "What were you doing with the bodies?" Aigis demanded.

"I was preparing them." Eris choked.

"Preparing them for what?" Aigis asked.

"For Thanatos' plan." Eris strained.

"What is Thanatos' plan?" Aigis pressed.

"I've already said too much." Eris said. "Just kill me, I won't say more."

Aigis looked up at Thanatos. She squeezed Eris' throat. The god began making choking noises and flailed weakly. "Give us back our friends or I will crush your sister." Aigis demanded.

"I will do no such thing." Thanatos said.

Aigis squeezed harder. Eris' eyes bulged and her skin began to change color. "I will kill her." Aigis threatened. "Revive them now or Eris dies."

"Or I could just do this." Thanatos said with a smile. He waved his arm and Eris disappeared. She reappeared beside Thanatos and immediately dropped to her knees, clutching her throat. "There, you won your match. Go."

"Thank you brother." Eris struggled, her voice little louder than a whisper. She smiled with relief.

"It would have been a shame to lose your power." Thanatos said. "Still, you must be punished." Eris' expression turned to one of terror as Thanatos grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. "I warned you about over confidence. I ordered you not to fail me. Your stupidity has cost us all."

"Please brother...I'm sorry." Eris struggled.

"I bet you are." Thanatos said. Her grabbed Eris' face with his free hand and both emitted a faint glow. There was a flash of light and Eris burst into a cloud of ash that evaporated away. The glow that surrounded Thanatos slowly faded. "Let that be a warning, brother." Hypnos narrowed his eyes at Thanatos but said nothing.

"You killed her." Aigis gasped.

"In a way, yes." Thanatos said. "I absorbed her power. I could not allow it to go to waste."

"She was your sister!" Aigis shouted. "How could you?"

"My relationship with my siblings is none of your business." Thanatos said dismissively. "Yours on the other hand, that's another matter. Your sister's a bit the worse for wear."

Aigis spun around. Labrys was still laying on the ground, though very much alive. Aigis rushed over. "How seriously are you damaged?" Aigis asked.

"I'm beat up pretty bad." Labrys groaned. "I'll live. Just help me up."

Aigis carefully lifted Labrys to her feet. Her legs were working fine, but with one arm inoperable and severe damage to her torso, Labrys' mobility was seriously restricted. "Are you in pain?" Aigis asked.

"Yeah but it's no big deal." Labrys said. "I'd rather be in physical pain than emotional pain."

Aigis helped Labrys up the ramp and out of the arena. The others got out of the way as Aigis laid Labrys down. "It looks like I can repair most of the damage without additional parts or equipment." Aigis reported. "The fix will only be temporary, but it should hold for now."

"I'm really glad you two made it out alright." Yu said.

"How did you get so strong?" Labrys asked as Aigis went to work repairing her shoulder.

"After being freed during the Sho incident, I was placed under great stress." Aigis explained. "That stress allowed me to awaken the power of Makoto's ultimate Persona."

"The fights were tough, but that shouldn't have been stressful enough for that kind of transformation." Labrys said.

"I was very worried about my sister." Aigis said. "I am going to have to bend some metal. It will hurt. Are you ready?"

"Ready." Labrys replied. Having reconnected the broken wires, Aigis now twisted Labrys' shoulder back into shape. Labrys winced and groaned.

"Your shoulder has been repaired." Aigis announced. "I will now fix your torso. This will also hurt." Labrys nodded. Aigis grabbed both sides of the crack in her armor and wrenched them toward each other until they overlapped. Labrys squealed and clenched her fists. Aigis twisted the plates so they interlocked as Labrys struggled to remain motionless. "There, that should hold until we return home."

"Thanks." Labrys said with a big smile. As she sat up it seemed all the pain had already faded.

"You feel pain." Yang observed. "That's weird for a robot."

"It's not really pain, just a simulation of it." Labrys explained. "It's my system's way of telling me I'm recieving damage."

"Your sister just basically did surgery on you while you were awake and you barely made a sound." Yang said. "That's incredible."

"Is it?" Labrys asked. "I guess it's not calibrated to be as strong as real pain. Maybe we should have the technicians change that."

"I do not think that would be a good idea." Aigis warned.

"So, Eris did something to the bodies." Pyrrha said. "What do you think it was?"

"She said she was preparing them for Thanatos' plan, but did not say what that was." Aigis said.

"I suspect whatever it was, it's not good for us." Naoto said. "That does explain one thing that was bothering me though."

"What?" Pyrrha asked.

"I was wondering why Thanatos would cover up the bodies." Naoto replied. "If asked he would probably say it was out of respect, but given the lack of respect he's shown us thus far, I would not believe that. Leaving the bodies exposed for us to see would be shocking and painful. It would fit in well with his mind games. So why cover them?"

"Of course, he didn't want us to see what he was doing to them." Pyrrha said. "I'm not sure I want to know what that is."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Naoto sighed. "I assumed he would have more tricks in store for us even after the matches were over."

"At least Aigis and Labrys proved it's possible to defeat them." Pyrrha said, trying to find some good news. "If Eris can be defeated, her siblings are vulnerable as well."

"We've only got two fights left, then we finally get to face him." Yang said.

"Yeah, two fights." Ruby groaned. "Two more chances to lose friends."

"Come on Ruby, we're going to kick ass!" Yang encouraged. "Together the two of us are unstoppable. The bigger beating I take the stronger I get, and you're way too fast for them to hit. Not to mention you have the coolest weapon."

"Crescent Rose is pretty great." Ruby said as she stroked it.

"And Yu and Naoto are going to wreck whatever Thanatos throws at them too." Yang continued. "Yu has power just like Aigis' and Naoto's got some awesome attacks. Remember when she knocked out Sun in one shot?"

"That was pretty awesome." Ruby said.

"Now then, let's put that confidence to the test." Thanatos said. "Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long, enter the arena."

Ruby sighed then stood, still hanging her head. "Come on, we'll do great." Yang said. The pair descended the ramp to the arena floor and waited to see what Thanatos had in store for them.

"I know Ruby, it would hurt to see your sister or your friends die." Thanatos said. "But if you die first, you won't have to suffer through any of that."

"You won't hurt her!" Yang shouted.

"What, over your dead body?" Thanatos laughed. "Well that's precisely the point. Now, the two of you have been blessed with such delightful mommy issues. Sadly Ruby's already faced the mother that loved her. I guess I'll have to settle for the one that hates you both."

Shadow material surged up from the arena floor, piling atop itself until it took on humanoid form. As the excess fell away it resolved into a woman with long black hair, clad in red and black and wearing a Grimm-like mask. A blade hung sheathed at her hip. "You think a shadow that looks like my mom is going to bother me?" Yang said. "She abandoned me and dad. I'll be happy to get some revenge."

"Killing the two of you is going to be a pleasure." The shadow said. It drew its sword, its red blade suddenly extending to twice its original length, and pointed it at Yang. "You stole my happiness just by existing." She shifted the blade to point it at Ruby. "You're the product of a grotesque union, the ultimate betrayal."

"Yang, didn't you say your mom was really strong?" Ruby asked. She was obviously nervous.

"Don't worry about it." Yang said. "I don't know much about my mom. If this shadow is like the others, it's a reflection of the person as we see her, rather than being based on the actual person. My mom is strong, but I can take her. Since all I know she can do is swing her sword around and use portals, that should be all the shadow can do."

"Are those the only powers you ascribe to the monster that haunts your nightmares?" The shadow asked. "Surely your imagination has filled in what your knowledge could not."

"The truth has taken the place of fantasies for me." Yang said.

"But not for your sister." The shadow countered. "To her I'm still more beast than human. What kind of mother abandons her daughter? Surely one of such power and evil that such a transgression hardly registers."

"Ruby, are you afraid of my mother?" Yang asked with surprise.

"Uh...maybe...a little...yes, terrified." Ruby admitted.

"Don't be afraid." Yang said. "My mother's misguided, not evil. She's not out to get us or dad or anything like that. And this, this isn't even her. It's just a shadow. I know we can take it."

"O...okay." Ruby stammered. "It's just another shadow. It's just like fighting Grimm. It doesn't matter who it looks like." Each statement was accompanied by increased confidence.

"That's it Ruby." Yang encouraged. "There's nothing to worry about. You've got Crescent Rose, I've got Ember Celica and we've got each other."

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted.

"What a touching family moment." The shadow groaned. "At least your final memories will be happy ones."


	51. Tisiphone

Chapter 51

The shadow charged. Ruby backpedaled but Yang held her ground. The shadow lashed out with its sword, the blade seeming to become even longer during the strike, and Yang deflected the blow with her gauntlets. The shadow kept its weapon in motion and slashed back at Yang. This time she leapt back. Again the shadow slashed and again Yang jumped back but this time a wave of fire leapt from the blade and hit Yang. She was effectively fireproof but it did have the effect of temporarily blinding her. It was also an attack Yang did not know her mother to have, probably some horror from Ruby's imagination. Slashing back across its body once again the shadow attacked low and hit Yang in the knees. Her legs pulled out from under her, Yang slammed down on her side.

Ruby arrived in a flurry of rose petals before the shadow could follow up. She swung Crescent Rose around but the shadow jumped over the attack and landed behind her, leaving them back to back. The shadow thrust its sword back under its arm and hit Ruby squarely in the back. As Ruby staggered forward, Yang sprung up and took her place. She launched a punch at the shadow's head but it ducked aside then spun around and hit Yang in the gut with an elbow. As Yang stumbled back the shadow followed through with its blade, drawing across Yang's chest, grinding away at her aura.

"Down!" Ruby called. Yang dropped to the floor as Ruby leveled her weapon at the shadow. She fired, unleashing a glowing ball of dust. With a swipe of its sword the shadow created a portal then leapt in just in time to dodge the incoming attack. It struck the far wall of the arena instead, shattering the stone in a spectacular explosion.

"Where did it go?" Yang asked as she jumped back to her feet.

A portal appeared behind Ruby and the shadow stepped out, its sword sheathed. It punched Ruby in the back of the head then grabbed her legs. The shadow pulled back and Ruby slammed down on her face. Then it threw her up into the air. The shadow placed its hand on its sword's grip as Ruby flew. Just before Ruby hit the ground the shadow swiftly drew the blade out of its sheath and hit her with a powerful strike that sent her flying. Ruby tumbled across the arena floor before skidding to a stop on her back.

Yang ran at the shadow but pulled up short as it swung its blade around. Rather than just blocking or deflecting the strike, Yang punched the sword. The energy sent the shadow into a spin and Yang unloaded another powerful punch toward the shadow's head. The shadow pirouetted, moved its head to avoid Yang's attack, then slashed its sword across her stomach. Yang doubled over and staggered back as the shadow swung its blade around, over its head then down in an uppercutting motion that hit Yang in the face. Yang flipped over backwards and landed on her stomach.

A glowing ball of dust, fired from Crescent Rose and moving at high velocity, struck the shadow in the mask. It exploded on impact and shattered the shadow's mask, revealing its face. It was not Raven's actual face, the one so much like Yang's, but a grotesque one that more resembled a creature of Grimm. Though much too far away to land a strike, the shadow slashed at Ruby. A wave of flames launched from the blade and slammed into Ruby. Ruby was knocked off her feet and her aura failed. The shadow slashed again, launching more fire, and Ruby scrambled to get out of the way. A few embers caught in her clothes and Ruby frantically beat the fire out.

Yang dove at the shadow to prevent it from launching another attack at Ruby. Her eyes blazed red and her hair was engulfed in flame. She planted her shoulder in the shadow's midsection but it did not budge. Instead it bashed Yang in the back of the head with the pommel of its sword. Yang fell on her face then quickly rolled onto her back as the shadow attempted to stomp on her. She thrust both hands forward, firing Ember Celica. The first pair of shots hit the shadow in the face but it jumped back and out of the way of a second salvo. It waved its blade, summoning a portal and jumped in just as Yang unleashed a third.

Yang got up and looked around the arena but could not locate the shadow. Ruby backed herself up against the arena wall to avoid being flanked again. "Where the heck did it go?!" Yang shouted, the fire in her hair flaring up. A dim red light made her look up but it was too late. Falling from above her the shadow slashed down and connected with Yang's head. Yang's aura failed and she slammed to the ground with the shadow landing on top of her. It flipped its blade around so it pointed downward and stabbed at Yang. Yang tried to squirm aside but only partially succeeded. The blade pierced her to the right of her navel, about three quarters of the way to the edge of her torso. For a moment the shadow and Yang locked eyes. The flames in Yang's hair grew in intensity and she roared with pain and rage. With her right hand she grabbed the sword and with her left punched the shadow in the side of the head with all her might.

The strike instantly reversed the position, leaving Yang astride the shadow. Yang pounded on the shadow's head, finally forcing it to let go of its sword to better defend itself. After a few more strikes, the shadow bucked and Yang ceased her attack to catch herself and prevent the sword from hitting anything. Any movement would only cause it to do more damage. The shadow slid out from under her and rolled to its feet, leaving Yang on her knees with its sword still planted in her side.

Then there was a black and red blur, accompanied by a flurry of rose petals. Ruby hooked the shadow with her scythe and dragged it across the arena until both struck a wall. Yang ripped the sword out of herself and tossed it aside. Ruby repeatedly slashed at the shadow, cutting gashes that oozed black liquid into its arms as it struggled to respond. Ruby stepped back then lunged forward with a twirling strike. It caught the shadow in the neck and cleanly severed its head. It burst into cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted with alarm as soon as the shadow burst. Yang was still kneeling, clutching her wound. Her eyes had returned to their usual violet and the fire in her hair had died. Ruby rushed over.

"I'm fine." Yang assured her. "It's just a flesh wound."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah, I've had worse." Yang assured her. "It didn't hit anything important."

"Well, alright." Ruby said, breathing a sigh of relief. She reached down to Yang who took her hand and pulled herself up. "As scary as the shadow was, I think I'd still be more afraid of your actual mom." Ruby said.

"I can agree with you on that." Yang admitted. "Are you burned anywhere?"

"No, I beat the flames out before they got through my clothes." Ruby replied. "I'm going to need a new combat skirt though."

"I'm not worried about your clothes." Yang said. She gave Ruby a hug that was not as crushingly tight as usual. The trade off was that it smeared Yang's blood on Ruby's clothes.

"Ew, Yang, you're still bleeding!" Ruby yelled. "It's all over my combat skirt!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Yang laughed. "Who cares, you're getting a new one when we get back anyway."

"What a touching display of sisterly love." Thanatos groaned. "Now clear the arena. There's still one more match."

Ruby and Yang walked up the ramp to rejoin the others. "Yang, that wound looks pretty bad." Weiss said. "Does it hurt?"

"Only a little." Yang said with a dismissive wave. "It's not nearly as painful as your attempts at humor." Weiss pouted.

"You should stitch it up." Ren said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small first aid kit. He handed it to Yang.

"I don't think I can stitch myself." Yang said. She reached around to her back. "Yeah, it cut through the other side too. I can't reach."

"I can apply sutures and field dressings." Aigis offered.

"If that'll be anything like the surgery you did on your sister, I'll pass." Yang said with an uneasy laugh.

"I can have a very gentle touch when necessary, I assure you." Aigis said.

Yang looked to Naoto. When YYRN had first come to Remnant she had stitched up a wound for Blake. "I would do it but my match is next." Naoto said. "You'll be in good hands with Aigis."

Yang hesitated but handed the first aid kit to Aigis. "Please lay down." Aigis said, gesturing toward where she had 'operated' on Labrys. With more hesitation Yang laid down. "Good, now please remain perfectly still."

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" Ruby offered.

"That's okay, I don't think…" Yang started. Aigis started the first suture and Yang stifled a scream. Yang grabbed Ruby's hand. "Alright, I'm sorry if I crush your hand."

"No problem, I'm just glad you're alive." Ruby said. Aigis started the second and Yang squeezed hard. Ruby yelped. "I regret everything!"

With everyone else attending to Yang, Yu and Naoto were left to themselves. "It's good to see they can still smile." Yu said. "It would be a tragedy if this crushed their spirits."

"What about your spirit?" Naoto asked.

"Don't worry about me." Yu said.

"I'm worried." Naoto said. She was clearly not willing to let it drop.

"I don't think I'll ever be the same." Yu said. "But that doesn't mean I'll be totally different either. I'm still me. I can still smile and laugh and joke around."

"That doesn't mean much if those smiles are just a facade." Naoto said. "Trust me, I know a lot about facades."

"I'm hurting." Yu admitted. "Right now the pain's raw. Maybe with time I can be really happy again. How about you?"

"It's the same for me I guess." Naoto replied. "Even when this is over, it'll be something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. As long as I have you to help though, I think I can get through it."

"Same." Yu said.

"It's time for the final match of my little tournament." Thanatos announced. "Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane, enter the arena." Without the slightest hesitation both stood and descended the ramp into the arena.

"Bring out your shadow." Yu said. "I know the one you're planning to use. My revenge starts with it. It ends with you."

"It's nice to see that one of you is actually looking forward to this." Thanatos said. "I was getting tired of all the moping and angst."

"Given that you're a psychopath, I seriously doubt that." Naoto said. "Seeing others in pain sustains you."

"I don't take joy in pain." Thanatos said. "I take joy in success. It just so happens that those two things coincide. Now, your opponent."

Thanatos waved his hand and a glob of shadow material rose up from the arena floor, immediately resolving into a copy of Yu. The copy now bore the scars of its previous two fights and was strengthened by the life force of its two fallen foes. "Yu, which one of you should I kill first?" The shadow hissed. "Who am I kidding? Of course I'll kill her first. Watching you suffer while you watch will be so satisfying."

"Save it." Yu said. "You've taken too many of my friends already. We're going to kill you. Then we're going to kill Thanatos. If Hypnos gets in our way we'll kill him too." The matter-of-fact way he stated the threats was deeply disconcerting.

"Yu, don't lose yourself." Naoto warned.

"These monsters only understand intimidation and violence." Yu said. Naoto immediately understood what he was aiming for. It was his own attempt at mind games, his way of showing Thanatos and the others that he would not be thrown off by their tricks. "Now, shall we get started?"

"I thought you'd never ask." The shadow said.

Yu did not wait for the shadow to make its move. Instead he charged straight at it. "Cover me." He said. Naoto took a few steps out to the side, leveled her rifle at the shadow and squeezed off a few shots. The shadow stood still, ignoring the bullets as they bounced off harmlessly. Yu slashed at the shadow, and it slashed back, their swords clashing. Both jumped back, thrust out their hands and unleashed blasts of wind that met and cancelled. Keeping up the opposing wind attacks, they added fire to the mix, generating a rapidly growing tornado of flames. Each failing to gain the upper hand, they leapt away as the tornado grew large and unstable, collapsing in a massive fireball. It was ice next, but all their mirroring attacks did was create a frozen wall between them.

Yu vaulted over the ice wall but the shadow was not where he expected when he landed on the other side. He spun around to find it with its back pressed against the ice. Before he could react the shadow hit him with a blast of wind that sent him flying up and into the invisible dome that surrounded the arena before bouncing down to the floor. The ice behind the shadow rapidly melted as Naoto poured a continuous stream of fire into it as she charged. Bursting through the weakened wall she slammed shoulder-first into the shadow. The shadow slid across the floor but stayed on its feet as Naoto unleashed a flurry of rapid stabs with her rapier. The shadow blocked most and seemed unaffected by those that landed.

The shadow lunged forward, headbutted Naoto, then kicked her in the shin. She stumbled and the shadow punched her in the back of the head hard enough to knock her to the ground. Naoto raised her hand and unleashed a wave of wind that threw the shadow back but not before it fired a short but powerful burst of electricity into her. Yu arrived behind the shadow as it was falling off balance. With an upward diagonal slash he hit the shadow's back with his blade. It landed on all fours and rolled forward and out of the way as Yu brought his sword down. It launched a fireball backwards that caught Yu in the face. It was both blinding and painful, giving the shadow the opportunity to get back to its feet. Yu slashed at the shadow and their blades met. Naoto attacked the shadow from behind but it was ready. It slid to the side and released Yu's blade, causing him to fall toward Naoto's. Naoto pulled up short and Yu only just avoided falling over.

The shadow spun behind Naoto and kicked her in the back, shoving her into Yu. A powerful blast of wind sent them both tumbling across the arena. Yu got up first and met the charging shadow with a charge of his own. Their blades clashed repeatedly as they attacked each other and neither seemed able to gain an advantage. Yu jumped back, simultaneously slashing his sword downward. The shadow side-stepped the strike and slashed high toward Yu's face. Yu brought his sword up and deflected the strike but the shadow bent over and lunged forward, planting its shoulder in his gut and grabbing his legs. It lifted him up and flipped him over its shoulder. Yu kept his composure and landed on his feet behind the shadow. He stabbed backward under his arm and the shadow matched the move to block.

Naoto was back in the fight. She lined up a shot and loosed a blast of wind at the shadow. The shadow saw it coming and dove out of the way. Yu was not so fortunate and took the blast full force. His aura failed and he was sent sailing across the arena. Naoto ran at the shadow and stabbed straight for it. It stepped out of the way and tripped her as she passed, causing her to slam down on her face. As the shadow stabbed down at her she raised a clenched fist. A spectral shield appeared between her and the shadow and took the blow while she scrambled to her feet. The shadow ignored the setback, reached out both hands and blasted her with lightning. Naoto convulsed and fell to her knees as her aura failed. The shadow touched its blade to the side of Naoto's attack to line up the strike, then lifted the blade over its head. It brought the blade crashing down.

Seeming to come out of nowhere, Yu slid between the shadow and Naoto. He stopped the blade with his bare hand. The shadow brought its sword back and slashed at him again. This time Yu did not bother to block, letting the blade slam into the side of his neck. It did not penetrate at all. The shadow frantically hacked at him but he seemed invulnerable. "Why won't you die?!" The shadow demanded.

"I told you, you've already taken enough of my friends." Yu said. "Now it's your turn." He caught the shadow's next slash, grabbed its arm, and twisted until it snapped and the shadow dropped the sword. He grabbed the shadow by the shoulders and kneed it in the gut. The shadow dropped to its knees. "I hope you're watching Thanatos." Yu yelled. "You're next." With a single lightning quick strike he sliced the shadow in two. It burst into a cloud of glowing ash that evaporated away.


	52. Lazarus

Chapter 52

Yu turned and reached down to Naoto, still kneeling behind him. She looked up at him in surprise and wonder and took his hand. He pulled her up to her feet, and seeing no apparent injuries, smiled. "How did you do that?" Naoto gasped.

"What?" Yu asked.

"Not get cut in half." Naoto said. "Your aura was gone."

"Oh, that." Yu said. "Different Personas have different properties. It was just a matter of activating the right power at the right time."

"So you relied on a Persona that was immune to physical attack." Naoto said.

"Yep." Yu confirmed. "I was switching throughout the battle. The shadow probably was too."

"And if it hadn't just hacked at you with its sword?" Naoto pressed.

"I would have killed me easily." Yu admitted.

"Why risk it?" Naoto asked.

"It was either that or watch you die." Yu replied. "It wasn't even a choice in my mind."

"The last thing I want is for you to die for me." Naoto said.

"That's one preference of yours that I'm going to ignore." Yu said. "Now, we still have business to attend to." He turned to face Thanatos. "So, are you going to come down here and face us or what?"

"Why don't you come up here?" Thanatos asked. The ramp from the arena floor appeared in its usual spot on the opposite end of the arena. "Rejoin your friends. Then when you're ready, you can come right over. We'll be waiting." Something about Thanatos' tone and continued bravado was worrying. Surely he had more tricks in store.

Yu and Naoto walked up the ramp to where the others waited. "Is everybody ready?" Yu asked.

"We're a little beat up but I think we are." Pyrrha said.

"Yang's wounds have been sutured and are already beginning to heal." Aigis reported. "Everyone is as physically healthy as possible in the short term."

"I'm a bit more concerned with your psychological health." Yu said.

"I don't think any of us are in a great place, but we'll manage." Weiss said. "Finally coming to grips with Thanatos is probably the best thing for us right now." The others nodded in agreement. Whether it was to save the world, for closure or just revenge, they all wanted to destroy Thanatos.

"I guess we're ready to go then." Yu said.

"Are you two alright?" Ruby asked. "Do you need a rest first?" Yu shrugged and Naoto shook her head. They were as ready as they would ever be.

"When your battle ended the invisible wall blocking off the rest of the seating area went away." Pyrrha said. "But only on one side." She pointed. The group would have to circle around the arena to reach the Emperor's box where Thanatos was waiting. Troublingly their path would take them past the bodies of their fallen friends.

"It's more mind games." Yang sighed.

"I hope it's only mind games." Pyrrha added.

"Well, it's useless to stand her and dwell on it." Labrys said. "Let's get this over with."

They all agreed. With their weapons ready and on the lookout for traps the group slowly circled through the seating area. Hypnos watched with a blank expression but Thanatos retained his sly smile. It was the look of someone holding all the cards. Just before the area where their comrades' corpses were, they reached an invisible wall. "What are you doing Thanatos?" Yu demanded. "You promised you'd fight us once your tournament was over."

"I was economical with the truth, a lie of omission I suppose." Thanatos said, his smile growing wider. "There's one more trial for you to overcome." He snapped his fingers and the sheets that covered the bodies disappeared. Rather than the expected scene of mangled and gory corpses, the group was greeted with the sight of their friends' undamaged bodies. The wounds had closed and severed limbs had been replaced. There was not the slightest bruise or scrape on any of them. Even their clothes and gear were restored. Nora's clothing, once shredded by shrapnel, looked brand new. Even her weapon Magnhild, once so crushed it did not function as a hammer or grenade launcher, appeared to be in pristine condition.

"What is all this?" Yang asked.

"You all said you wanted your friends back, so here they are." Thanatos replied. "They're alive and good as new." It was true. Looking closely it was possible to see that they were breathing. A glowing white door appeared behind Thanatos. It opened, filling the arena with brilliant light. "Now I'll be taking my leave." Their friends stirred, stood up and took hold of their weapons. Happy as the group was to see their friends alive, something was very wrong. "You're going to have to fight them to get to me." Thanatos announced. "They won't stop until they're dead, or you are. You have a choice. On the one hand you can die by the hands of your friends or by your own, leaving me to release Nyx. On the other, you can murder your friends and come after me. Can you kill them? I don't think you have the guts. Goodbye."

Thanatos stepped through the glowing doorway. The door closed but it remained there, the only way to follow him. Between the group and the door stood their reanimated friends, weapons at the ready and looks of rage on their faces. Hypnos stood just behind them, impassive.

"I can't kill them." Yu said. "I can't let the world end either. There has to be a third option."

"I don't get it, they would never hurt us." Yang said. "This has to be some kind of trick."

"Look at their eyes." Pyrrha said. Their eyes darted around, pupils dilated, never focusing on anything. It was very much at odds with the rest of their expressions.

"They're dreaming." Naoto said. "Hypnos must be controlling them, making them think they're fighting enemies."

"If we take down Hypnos it might break the illusion." Pyrrha suggested.

"Well, there are seven of them and nine of us." Yu said. "Our strongest two should go after Hypnos while the rest hold them off. Aigis is the strongest from Earth."

"Pyrrha is the strongest from Remnant." Weiss said.

"Aigis and Pyrrha it is, take down Hypnos and make it quick." Yu said. "We'll do everything we can to not hurt them."

"I'll take Akihiko and Ruby will handle Jaune." Yang said. "Everyone else matchup on a teammate. Try to make it your best friend." It was a risky but wise strategy. Fighting a close friend was demoralizing and would make the fighter reluctant to give it everything, but it also made losing control and accidentally causing injury much less likely.

There was a visible shimmer in the previously transparent barrier that separated the opposing sides. It faded from existence and both groups charged. Pyrrha and Aigis leapt over the combatants and headed for Hypnos and the Emperor's box at a full sprint. Without warning the ground began to shift, transforming into a steep slope. Everyone on both sides, Hypnos included, slid down to the arena floor. Pyrrha and Aigis ran at Hypnos, Pyrrha just ahead. She stabbed for him with her spear but he disappeared, reappearing on the far side of the arena. There his body became bathed in light. When it faded his clothes had transformed. Instead of a suit he now wore a military-style tactical vest. A large rectangular shield, reminiscent of what a Roman legionary would carry, appeared in his hand.

* * *

After sliding into the arena, Ren came to grips with Nora. Ducking under her hammer he hooked her under the arms with his blades and tossed her to an empty spot on the arena floor. The last thing the group needed was Nora wading through a crowd, wildly swinging Magnhild. Ren immediately followed his throw. Nora tried to crush him with a vertical slam of her hammer, but he side-stepped and swept Nora's legs. She fell on her back but Ren did not press the attack and she was soon back on her feet. Ren jumped over a horizontal hammer swing then ducked under another. He lost his balance and fell onto his back. Nora brought her hammer down hard but Ren got both his weapons up to block and, focusing his aura, pushed Nora back.

* * *

Aigis and Pyrrha rushed at Hypnos. He planted his shield on the ground between them. A trap door on the shield dropped open and a gun barrel poked out. He unleashed a continuous stream of lead at the onrushing pair. Pyrrha lifted her shield, blocking the bullets sent her way while simultaneously using her semblance to move those aimed at Aigis off course. Aigis jumped up and over Hypnos while Pyrrha charged straight into his shield. Hypnos did not budge. Instead he slammed the shield forward, knocking Pyrrha off her feet. Aigis landed behind Hypnos and grabbed him around the neck. He lifted his shield and, showing extreme flexibility, bashed Aigis on the head with it. Aigis staggered back as Pyrrha got to her feet.

* * *

Labrys hooked Mitsuru between the shaft and blade of her axe and tossed her away from the other fighters. Labrys was afraid an errant attack might hit a friend. She followed, running through a storm of ice crystals fired at her by Mitsuru. Brushing Mitsuru's sword aside, she wrapped her in a bear hug, hoping to prevent any further offensive action. It did not work. One of Mitsuru's hands ended up right next to the temporary armor repair done by Aigis. Mitsuru placed her palm against the crease and blasted ice inside to force the metal apart. Labrys immediately pushed her away to avoid serious damage. Mitsuru stabbed forward but Labrys ducked the attack, grabbed Mitsuru's arm and threw her to the ground.

* * *

Hypnos swept his arm around and a circle of fire erupted from the ground, forcing Pyrrha and Aigis to back off. He let go of his shield and it automatically kept the gun trained and firing on Pyrrha. Aigis fired her guns at Hypnos but he ignored the attack and drew a short sword. Leaving his shield to occupy Pyrrha he lunged at Aigis who parried the blow with her forearm. She punched him in the shoulder but he spun with the momentum of the strike and stabbed Aigis in the stomach with enough force to sent her tumbling back. Pyrrha used her shield to block the incoming bullets and got right up to Hypnos' shield. She plugged the firing aperture and reached over the top to try to deactivate it. Hypnos spotted her, pulled a knife from his vest and threw it. Pyrrha tried to deflect it with her semblance but it was unaffected, apparently not made of metal, and hit her face. It dropped to the ground and exploded, blasting Pyrrha back.

* * *

Weiss used her glyphs to drag Blake away from the others. She did not want anyone to get in her way. Weiss followed, gliding on her glyphs toward Blake. Blake leapt out of the way, leaving behind a subtly glowing double. Weiss was unable to stop and slammed into it, causing it to explode. Blake rushed forward, slashing at Weiss with both halves of Gambol Shroud. Weiss did her best to deflect the attacks with Myrtenaster but took a few hits to her aura. She summoned a time dilation glyph and jumped back out of Blake's range. She lunged forward, diving into Blake's legs. Blake fell to all fours as Weiss rolled back to her feet, spun around, and summoned another glyph beneath Blake. Ice shot up from the glyph and encased Blake's limbs.

* * *

Pyrrha quickly recovered, charged straight at the shield and jumped over it. She grabbed the gun built into it, wrenched it free of its attachments and jammed the barrel into the floor. Hypnos waved his hand and Pyrrha was lifted into a whirlwind and tossed aside. He turned to face an onrushing Aigis. She launched a fireball at Hypnos. Rather than dodging, he ran straight at it, delivering a punch to Aigis' face as he burst through. Aigis staggered back, throwing more fireballs as she did so. Hypnos swiped at them with his sword then threw another one of his exploding knives at Aigis' feet. She leapt back just as it went off.

* * *

Naoto got ahold of Rise's spear and the pair struggled for control of the weapon. Rise fired it, wrenching it free of Naoto's grasp. She spun around and slammed the shaft into the side of Naoto's head. Naoto wobbled and Rise planted her spear, aiming the tip at Naoto's face. Naoto bent backwards as the spear shot just over her. Rather than fall to her back, Naoto dropped to her knees, grabbed Rise's ankle and pulled. As Rise began to trip Naoto positioned herself under her. Catching Rise on her shoulders, Naoto fell backwards and rolled, landing astride Rise. She tried to pin Rise's hands to the ground as Rise kicked and struggled to get free.

* * *

Hypnos tried the same whirlwind trick he had used on Pyrrha to attack Aigis. Aigis cancelled the attack with wind of her own then fired a salvo of ice crystals at Hypnos. Hypnos abandoned the wind attack and shifted to fire, melting the ice before it reached him and creating a blinding wall of steam and flames. He burst through and drop kicked Aigis in the chest, sending her flying into the nearby arena wall. Pyrrha attacked Hypnos from behind, landing a stab to his lower back. Hypnos jumped forward and spun around. He deflected Pyrrha's next stab with his sword, then caught her shield with his hand. He kneed Pyrrha in the gut and she stumbled backwards. Hypnos waved his hand and ice shot up from the ground to encase Pyrrha's legs.

* * *

With all the speed of her semblance Ruby immediately plowed into Jaune, pushing the pair far away from the others. Ruby needed room to operate. Jaune pressed forward with a flurry of sword slashes and a series of attempted shield bashes. Ruby was too quick to hit, always just out of his reach. She hooked Crescent Rose around his legs and fired. The blade snapped back and pulled his legs out from under him. As soon as he stood Ruby tripped him again with the same technique. She tried it a third time but Jaune jumped over the blade. He stabbed at her but she zipped around behind him and swung Crescent Rose around to knock his legs out. Jaune fell on his face and Ruby pressed down on his back with her weapon to keep him down.

* * *

Hypnos slashed at Pyrrha with his sword but Pyrrha parried the attack. She was immobilized by the ice so Hypnos moved around her side. Pyrrha showed impressive flexibility in twisting her body to face him as he launched attack after attack without success. Finally Hypnos jumped back, reached into his vest and pulled out four explosive knives. With a single flick of his wrist he threw them all and they landed all around Pyrrha. The explosion blasted her free of the ice and up into the air. Hypnos hit her with a powerful straight punch as she came down and Pyrrha's aura failed as she tumbled across the ground. Aigis arrived to occupy Hypnos' attention, this time firing a continuous stream of electricity at him. After being hit by the initial surge, Hypnos fired back with lightning of his own. The streams met in the air and formed an ever growing ball of energy. The ball exploded in a blinding flash, firing electricity off in all directions and knocking Aigis to the ground.

* * *

Yang blocked as Akihiko launched a flurry of punches. He managed to unbalance himself and Yang lunged forward, hitting him with her shoulder. Akihiko rolled over backwards but immediately back to his feet. He blocked Yang's next punch then hit her in the gut with a punch of his own. His next strike aimed for her face but Yang ducked out of the way. She countered with an uppercut that caught Akihiko's jaw, then grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around. Before Akihiko could react Yang locked him in a full Nelson. Akihiko struggled to get free, kicking and flailing, but Yang had a tight grip and was not about to let go.

* * *

Aigis jumped back up only to receive an immediate blast of electricity. She was behind on switching powers and the hit immediately knocked out her aura. She jumped straight up and unloaded her guns into Hypnos before knocking him off his feet with a blast of wind. With her rocket boosters she aimed to land on him but he rolled out of the way, leapt to his feet and roundhouse kicked her in the head. Aigis flipped over and landed awkwardly on her side. Pyrrha, now free of the ice, slammed her shield into the side of Hypnos' head. He spun around and slashed at her with his sword but she deflected the attack with her spear. He kicked her in the side of the knee then delivered a knee to her face as she tripped.

* * *

Yu launched electricity at Yosuke and Yosuke launched wind at Yu. The attacks knocked both flat onto their backs. They jumped up and repeated the exchange with the same result. Both wobbling, they got back to their feet and ran at each other. Yosuke slashed at Yu with his twin blades and Yu jumped back, just out of range. Yosuke thrust forward but Yu knocked Yosuke's attack aside with his sword. Yu dropped his sword and grabbed both of Yosuke's wrists. He twisted until Yosuke dropped his blades then pushed him back. The pair cocked their arms and unleashed punches at each other. Both punches landed flush and both fighters went down.

* * *

Pyrrha used her shield to deflect Hypnos' stab then jumped to her feet. She thrust her spear at Hypnos but he parried the attack so Pyrrha bashed him in the face with her shield. Hypnos appeared stunned and Pyrrha hit him again, this time even harder. Hypnos staggered back, right into the clutches of Aigis. She wrapped her arms around his midsection, lifted him up and slammed him to the ground. She jumped on top of him, wrapped one hand around his throat and repeatedly punched him with the other. He tried to stab her with his sword but Pyrrha stomped on his wrist and pinned it to the ground. Aigis shifted one of her legs to pin the other arm, leaving Hypnos defenseless.

"I give up." Hypnos strained through Aigis' chokehold.

"Release them!" Aigis demanded, still punching.

"You got it." Hypnos said.

Like puppets with their strings cut, the fighters controlled by Hypnos crumpled to the ground all at once. Those that had just been fighting them for dear life immediately shifted to checking their wellbeing. They seemed dazed, but otherwise alright. Aigis stopped punching Hypnos and loosened her grip on his neck. She and Pyrrha were sure to keep him pinned though.


	53. Hypnos

Chapter 53

Nora raised her hammer over her head and Ren prepared to block the strike. Without warning Nora dropped Magnhild and her legs gave out. Ren jumped forward and caught her, gently lowering her to the ground. He cradled her head and put his ear to her mouth. She was still breathing! "Nora, are you okay?" Ren asked nervously.

Nora's eyes fluttered and she winced. Her head hurt. "MmmHmm." She groaned.

Ren started crying. "I thought I lost you." He sobbed. "I thought I lost everything."

So she was everything to him? Nora liked the sound of that. She really hoped he meant it. She could not stand to see him cry. She reached up with her index finger and tapped the end of his nose. "Boop." She said with a big smile. After a moment of surprise Ren met her smile with a smile of his own. "I'm so happy to see you." She reached up and hugged Ren tightly, too tightly for his liking, but he was not about to complain at a time like this.

* * *

Mitsuru stabbed forward with her sword. Mid-attack her body went limp and she collapsed into Labrys' waiting arms. Labrys grabbed her by the shoulders and held her up. After a moment Mitsuru's eyes opened. She groaned and looked up at Labrys. "What's happening?" She asked groggily.

"Are you injured?" Labrys asked. "Can you stand?"

Mitsuru realized Labrys was holding her up. She regained her footing and pulled back slightly. "I'm fine." She said, a little embarrassed. "What happened?"

"You were dead." Labrys said. Mitsuru did have a vague recollection of being on fire, then only darkness. "Thanatos revived you and made you fight us."

Mitsuru saw the damage to Labrys' torso and shoulder. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Mitsuru asked.

"No, this is from another fight." Labrys explained. "I was more worried about hurting you."

"Are Akihiko and Aigis alright?" Mitsuru asked.

* * *

Blake ripped her arm out of the ice then used it to free her other arm. With a twist she broke her legs free then suddenly collapsed, falling on her face. Weiss knelt down and rolled Blake onto her back. "Blake?" She said.

Blake raised her hand to the side of her head and opened her eyes. "My head…" She groaned.

"I'm so glad you're alive!" Weiss exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to stab you. I was trying to kill the shadow and I just…"

"Stop, it's fine." Blake cut her off. "I know you didn't do it on purpose. You would never intentionally hurt a friend."

"You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that." Weiss said with tears in her eyes.

Blake put her hand on her chest. "What happened to the wound." She asked. "I don't understand."

"You died, then Thanatos brought you back and made you fight us." Weiss said.

"I died?" Blake asked. "You must have felt so guilty."

* * *

Rise struggled to get free from Naoto's grasp. Naoto desperately tried to keep her pinned to the ground. Rise got an arm free and slugged Naoto in the side of the head. Dazed, Naoto rolled off to the side. She expected Rise to take advantage and attack but no attack came. Naoto looked over to see Rise lying in the same place she had been. Her facial expression was totally changed. She looked peaceful. Naoto scrambled over. "Rise, tell me you're okay." Naoto said.

"I'm okay?" Rise said. "I have one hell of a headache though." She looked down at her body. "How am I not…"

"Dead?" Naoto finished for her. "It's a long story. The short version is that Thanatos revived you and the others to fight us."

"So you were fighting me?" Rise asked.

"It was more like trying to stop you from fighting me, but I guess so." Naoto replied. "You're a lot stronger than I was expecting."

"What happened to that shadow?" Rise asked.

"You don't have to worry about it anymore." Naoto assured her. "Yu killed it."

"I knew he would." Rise said.

* * *

Ruby kept pushing Jaune over every time he tried to get up. It was surprisingly easy but Ruby felt bad. It was like bullying. Finally Jaune stopped. "Are you...you now?" Ruby asked, Crescent Rose still at the ready.

Jaune blinked and looked up at Ruby, then her weapon. "Uh...is there a reason you're pointing that thing at me?" He asked nervously.

"You were just trying to kill me." Ruby replied.

"Why would I do that?" Jaune asked. "You're my friend."

"I think you were being controlled." Ruby said.

"Hey, was I dead?" Jaune asked. "I sort of remember dying. It's a little foggy…"

"No, you were definitely dead." Ruby answered. "Thanatos brought you back with the others and made you fight us."

"So everyone else is alright?" Jaune asked. "Pyrrha too?"

* * *

Yang still had Akihiko locked up but her shins were getting sore from all the kicks. Still, she was not letting go. As long as she had Akihiko's hands tied up his best weapons were out of action. After a furious series of kicks he went limp. It had the side effect of allowing him to slip right out of the hold. He dropped to his knees then fell over on his face. "Hey, are you alright?" Yang asked, afraid she had accidentally hurt him.

"I'm fine." Akihiko groaned. "Why am I flat on my face?"

"That's where you landed." Yang replied.

"After what?" Akihiko asked.

"After our fight." Yang said.

"Why were we fighting?" Akihiko asked. "I don't remember anything." He stumbled to his feet.

"Well, you were dead, then Thanatos brought you and the others back and made you fight us." Yang explained. "I locked you in a pretty solid hold until you went limp."

"That's right...I was…" Akihiko started. "Is Mitsuru alright?"

* * *

Yu and Yosuke were side by side, flat on their backs. "What happened?" Yosuke asked. "Why does my jaw hurt?"

"Oh good, you're awake." Yu said. "You punch pretty hard."

"You too apparently." Yosuke said. "So, why am I not dead anymore?"

"Thanatos revived everyone who died to fight the survivors." Yu replied.

"That explains why we punched each other." Yosuke said. "Who else died?"

"Nora, Mitsuru, Akihiko, Blake, Rise and Jaune." Yu answered.

"That's right, Rise had to do the doubles match alone." Yosuke said. "I feel really bad. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect her."

"You and me both." Yu said. "Don't worry about it though, everyone's alive again."

"What about the gods?" Yosuke asked.

"Thanatos killed Eris after she lost to Aigis and Labrys." Yu explained. "Thanatos ran off while Hypnos was controlling you guys. Aigis and Pyrrha were fighting Hypnos, and since you're not trying to kill me anymore, I'm guessing they won."

* * *

"What are we going to do with him?" Pyrrha asked.

"I am not sure." Aigis replied.

"I'd really appreciate it if you would refrain from killing me." Hypnos said.

"Give us a reason and we'll consider it." Pyrrha said.

"I'll tell you everything." Hypnos offered. "Thanatos' plan, how everything was set up, why you guys were dragged into this, even the trap he still set for all of you."

"Why would you tell us?" Aigis asked. "Why would we believe you?"

"I have come to the conclusion that supporting Thanatos is a losing proposition." Hypnos replied. "If I go crawling to him he'll kill me like he did Eris. He probably would even if I was successful here."

"The rats are the first to abandon a sinking ship." Aigis said.

"I'd rather be a live rat than a dead god." Hypnos said.

"Start talking." Pyrrha commanded. The others had by now gathered around.

"I'm guessing you already knew that Eris used her power to repair your bodies and that Thanatos brought you back to life with his." Hypnos said. "I controlled the ex-corpses. Thanatos wanted your souls and figured you wouldn't be able to kill your friends."

"He had half of our souls, why give them up for that kind of gamble?" Naoto asked.

"He didn't have the right ones." Hypnos explained. "Only four of you really matter."

"Why is that?" Ren asked.

"Only four of you have the right power." Hypnos said. "The power needed to stop him, or in his hands to free Nyx. He wanted to free our mother in order to kill everyone so he could rule. He promised Eris she would rule Remnant and I would rule Earth. With everyone dead we could create whatever kind of world we wanted. Thinking about it, he probably planned to kill us both and take over for himself. He might not even really want to release Nyx."

"Yeah, he doesn't seem like the type to delegate authority." Weiss said.

"What is this world?" Rise asked. "It's like the shadow world, but different."

"It was originally part of the Remnant shadow world, which is why your powers work the same here." Hypnos said. "Eris used her power to separate and isolate a pocket that Thanatos then used to create this place. I was only needed to lure you all here and then for that little trick I just pulled. I won't lie and say I'm sorry, but I do certainly regret getting involved at all."

"Was what Eris did on Remnant and you did on Earth part of this?" Ruby asked.

"No." Hypnos replied. "We were just screwing around, having fun. The key was we found out that a few of you had special power. We told Thanatos and he came up with his plan. He doesn't have the power he needs now. You can just go home. I'll even help."

"We can't leave him alive." Blake said. "He's too dangerous. It's only a matter of time before he does this again. We can't let that happen." The door that led to Thanatos had slid down into the arena along with the fighters. "We're going after him."

"You're not." Hypnos said. "Most of you aren't."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nora demanded. "Of course we're going after him."

"If you do you'll die." Hypnos said. "It's his last little trick. Only those with the power of the gods can enter that realm and survive. It's the power he wanted to take. Then there would be no one to oppose him."

"So who can follow him?" Yosuke asked. "I'm guessing not me."

"There are four of you." Hypnos said. "You're mortals with godly traits. We call you Heroes. Think of the heroes of your legends. Among you are the Heroes of Power, Wisdom, Unity and Purity."

"The only four in existence?" Labrys asked.

"No, there are many Heroes spread through the multiverse." Hypnos explained. "Most don't even realize what power they have. There can even be more than one of a single type. You're just the four we know about. Thanatos determined that your power, combined with his, Eris' and mine, would be sufficient to break the seal and release Nyx."

"So who are the Heroes?" Pyrrha asked.

"It should be obvious." Hypnos said. "They all share the same arcana: the Fool."

"Well, that means Aigis, Yu and Ruby are all Heroes." Naoto said. "Who's the fourth?"

"Let me scan." Rise said. "It has to be a member of Team JNPR since we know the others." Team JNPR gathered around Rise. She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Oh, well obviously." She said, opening her eyes again. "It's Pyrrha."

"Very good." Hypnos said. "That's why Thanatos made you that offer. He really wanted your power."

"What offer?" Jaune asked.

"I'll explain it later." Pyrrha said.

"I have little doubt you will be able to defeat him." Hypnos said.

"So, what do we do about Hypnos?" Akihiko asked. "I'm in need of a new punching bag."

"Come on guys, I told you everything." Hypnos pleaded. "I'll disappear and never set foot in either of your universes again."

"How can we trust you?" Yang asked.

"You don't have to." Hypnos said. "For one thing, it's pretty clear that as a group you're far stronger than I am. I only defeated the Shadow Operatives on Earth by tricking them, and I don't think that's going to work again. If I did try something, even in another universe, your friend Margaret would know, so you would all find out. I value being alive and I know my life will be short if I cross any of you."

"Just to be safe we should keep him here until Thanatos is defeated." Mitsuru suggested. "If he tries anything or you guys don't come back, we'll assume he lied and execute him."

"That sounds like a good plan." Weiss said.

"Well, I guess we should go do this." Pyrrha said.

"Just a quick warning before you do." Hypnos said. "Your souls are all still tethered to Thanatos, so if you die in the fight, he'll get your powers. Please beat him. If you don't I'm as good as dead."

"We will defeat him." Aigis said. "And we will not suffer losses."

"Hubris, Hero of Power." Hypnos warned. "It will be the downfall of us all."

"I am not over confident." Aigis said. "I am simply sure that with our power and determination, we will not fail. If anyone will fall to hubris, it is Thanatos."

"I always wanted to save the world." Pyrrha said. "I never thought I would get the chance so soon."

"Time waits for no one, Hero of Wisdom." Hypnos said. "You are either ready for the challenge, or the world will end."

"I'm ready." Pyrrha said. "I've been preparing for this all my life."

"I know you're all ready." Yu said. "And I know you'll all be pulling for us. I've said it before, my friends are my strength."

"Strength is only as useful as the one wielding it, Hero of Unity." Hypnos said. "You friends can only be your strength if you are strong enough to be worthy of them."

"Then I guess I'm strong, because I have amazing friends." Yu said.

"Yang, I'll make you and mom proud." Ruby said.

"To act for the sake of others is noble but dangerous, Hero of Purity." Hypnos said. "Sometimes you must act for yourself."

"All I've ever wanted to do is be a hero worthy of my mother and sister." Ruby said. "As much as I do this for them, and for all my friends, doing this will make me happy."

"Well I'm convinced that the four of you have what it takes." Hypnos said. "Before setting off, be sure you are ready, physically and mentally. You will only have one chance at this. You should also say your goodbyes. There are no guarantees, and this may be the last time you see your friends." The Heroes joined their teams to prepare.

* * *

"I'm a little disappointed it's you and not me." Akihiko said. "I really want the chance to punch that smug look of Thanatos' face." He laughed. "I guess you'll just have to tell me what it was like when you get back."

"I will give you a blow-by-blow account." Aigis promised.

"If any of us can do this it's you." Mitsuru said. "You're exceptionally strong. More importantly, you have a good heart. I know you'll make the Shadow Operatives proud."

"Thank you." Aigis said. "I will do everything in my power to stop Thanatos."

"Make it back, okay?" Labrys said. "You're the only one I have left."

"I will make it, but you are not alone without me." Aigis said. "You have lots of great friends. We both do. Now it is time for me to protect you all. This time I will not fail."

* * *

"Break his legs!" Nora exclaimed. "I wish I could do it myself, but you'll have to do it for me."

"If the opportunity arises I'll make sure Thanatos never walks again." Pyrrha laughed. Nora's enthusiasm could not help but make Pyrrha happy.

"Make Thanatos suffer." Ren said flatly. "What he did to us, it's unforgivable."

"As evil as he is, I don't think I'm capable of torture." Pyrrha said. "However, he must be stopped, and I will be the one to stop him."

"You won't have me to hold you back in there." Jaune said. "I'm sure you've got what it takes to beat him."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Pyrrha said. "And if I don't make it back, don't stop trying. One day you'll be the hero you always wanted to be, with or without my help."

"Come on, don't talk like that." Jaune said. "You're going to be fine."

"I know." Pyrrha said. "I was born to do this."

* * *

"Worried about me?" Yu asked Yosuke.

"Nah, I know you'll be fine." Yosuke replied. "Dying sucks. Make sure Thanatos knows the feeling."

"I will." Yu said. "If I don't make it, take care of everybody."

"If you don't make it I don't think there'll be anybody to take care of." Yosuke said. "Just kick Thanatos' ass."

Rise walked up and embraced Yu. "Make him pay Senpai." She said. "For all the pain he caused you."

"I'm more worried about the pain he caused all of you." Yu said. "If I don't make it, you've got to promise you'll be happy. All I want is for my friends to be happy."

"I...I promise." Rise stammered, struggling not to cry. "You will make it though." She released him and met his smile with one of her own.

"Naoto, if…" Yu started.

"Don't even say it." Naoto cut him off.

"If I don't make it…" Yu continued.

Naoto slapped Yu. He was shocked. "I told you not to say it." Naoto said. She thrust her index finger hard into his chest. "You're going to beat Thanatos, then you're coming back. That's all there is to it."

"You got it." Yu said. "Well, it's time to fight another god. I'll see you guys soon."

* * *

"Weiss, I'm going to beat Thanatos and be a team leader you can be proud of." Ruby said.

"Ruby, I'm already proud to have you as my team leader." Weiss said. "And as much as I'd love to go fight Thanatos myself, I know you'll do just fine."

"Thanks, that means a lot." Ruby said. The praise was a little embarrassing.

"I've met my share of monsters, but never one as monstrous as Thanatos." Blake said. "Put him down."

"I grew up dreaming of fighting monsters." Ruby said. "Now that I have the chance I'm a little nervous but still excited."

"Just make it back alive." Yang said. With tears streaming down her face she wrapped Ruby in a vice-like hug.

Ruby squirmed until Yang finally released her. "It'll be just like the fairy tales you read me when we were little." Ruby said. "I'm going to be the hero and slay the monster. I'll make you and mom proud."

"I'm already so proud of you." Yang said. "I know your mom would be too."

"It makes me happy to hear you say that." Ruby said. "I know you'll all be cheering me on. It's time to win one for Team RWBY!"


	54. Thanatos

Chapter 54

Aigis, Pyrrha, Yu and Ruby stood before the glowing door that would take them to Thanatos. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous." Pyrrha admitted.

"I think we're all nervous." Yu said. "It's not every day the fate of the world rests in your hands. I mean, this isn't the first time I've been in this position, but it is the first without the rest of my team."

"We're four people." Ruby said. "We make a team. We just need a name."

"How about P-Y-R-A, Pyrrha." Aigis suggested.

"Does that make me team leader?" Pyrrha asked. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. You all have significantly more experience with this sort of situation."

"We're all leaders." Yu said. "And who cares about experience? You're strong, in body and soul. We all are or we wouldn't be here."

"So, team, are we ready?" Ruby asked. She was bursting with excitement and nervous energy. "I know I am."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Pyrrha said.

"Ready." Yu said.

"Then we will delay no longer." Aigis declared. She stepped forward and opened the door. Blinding white light poured out. One by one the Heroes stepped through.

* * *

Normally traveling into and out of shadow worlds or between universes was an unpleasant experience. It was exhausting, disorienting and sometimes even painful. This time was different. No sooner had each Hero stepped through had they found themselves in a bizarre new world. The sky was black and filled with stars - normal enough - but the ground looked like stained glass arranged in geometric patterns. The ground appeared to fade away after a short distance, but movement in any direction caused more of the same patterns to appear, making the space seem infinite. Behind the quartet, the door was nowhere to be seen. Not far ahead they could see a figure in a seated position. They approached with caution.

It was indeed Thanatos. He was sitting casually on an invisible throne. At the Heroes' approach he stood, a smug smile on his face. "So you slaughtered your friends." He said. "That was a bold choice. What point is there in saving the world if you have no one to share it with?"

"Actually we beat up Hypnos until he released his control on them." Pyrrha said. "Did you really think we wouldn't figure it out?"

A momentary look of surprise swept over Thanatos' face but he quickly regained his composure. "Well then, you must be wondering where they are." He said. "They're dead. Only the chosen can survive in this place."

"Wrong again." Ruby said. "Hypnos warned us. He didn't want to end up like his sister so he switched sides."

"Backstabbing…" Thanatos said through gritted teeth. "After I deal with you I shall deal with him. His end will be much harder than Eris'."

"You will not be leaving here." Aigis said. "We will defeat you. We will destroy you."

"I'll be doing the destroying thank you." Thanatos said. "It's not too late to submit you know. If you willingly give up your lives I will spare your friends."

"Spare them for what?" Pyrrha asked. "To live in a wasteland? To live in a world ruled by you? No, they would prefer death. We will not submit."

"Very well." Thanatos said. "You will fall to me and your worlds with you." Thanatos held his arms straight out to his sides and levitated into the air. He was bathed in blinding white light. When the light faded, Thanatos floated there transformed. His transformation was far more extreme than either of his siblings'. He kept his face, Ryoji's face, but that was about it. He was now gigantic, at least four times taller than before. Having originally been about as tall as Pyrrha, his new stature was truly terrifying. Gone was the neat suit he had been wearing. He was shirtless, revealing large and defined muscles. A wreath of poppies hung around his neck. He wore tight pants that ended at the ankle above bare feet. Sprouting from his back were wings, similar in appearance to butterfly or moth wings. A colossal straight, double-bladed sword hung from his hip.

"Why do gods always insist on becoming gigantic?" Yu asked hypothetically. "It just makes them easier to hit."

"Your strikes are but pinpricks." Thanatos boomed.

"You can die from pinpricks." Pyrrha said.

"And you will die by my hands!" Thanatos declared. He drew his sword. "Your reckoning is at hand." Thanatos held his sword vertically in front of him and waved his free hand toward the four. A circle of impossible blackness appeared below them. Ruby, Aigis and Pyrrha rushed out of the circle, each heading in a different direction. Ruby zipped left with her semblance, Pyrrha went right as fast as she could sprint and Aigis charged straight at Thanatos. Yu stood his ground as the circle collapsed. Yu was unaffected.

Aigis ran at Thanatos, firing her guns as she approached. Thanatos slashed at her with his sword but Aigis was easily able to leap over the attack. Aigis reached out her hands toward Thanatos and flames shot from her palms. Thanatos slammed down to the ground on his feet, the shockwave throwing Aigis back. Thanatos was unable to take advantage as Pyrrha and Ruby simultaneously attacked him from opposite sides, firing their guns at him. Lightning flew from Yu's fingertips, arcing through the air and into Thanatos. Thanatos held out his sword and spun around. A powerful blast of wind shot out in all directions, blasting the Heroes off their feet and pushing them back.

Aigis helped Yu to his feet. "Are you alright?" Aigis asked.

"I'm fine." Yu said. Aigis nodded and charged toward Thanatos. Yu emptied his rifle at the god.

Towering monster or not, Pyrrha was going to attack. She aimed and threw her spear. It stuck in Thanatos' gut. She ran forward, jumped, grabbed the weapon and while ripping it out used it to launch herself higher toward the shadow's chest. Pyrrha stabbed furiously at the shadow, gouging tiny cuts into the god that oozed black sludge. With a sweep of his arm Thanatos smacked Pyrrha away, sending her sailing through the air. Ruby zipped back and forth through Thanatos' legs, slicing at them as she passed. Another stomp forced her back as Aigis arrived for an attack of her own. A spectral spear appeared in Aigis' hand. She leapt up, pushed higher by her rocket boosters, and thrust the spear into Thanatos' chest. She pushed off and sailed away as the spear exploded, leaving a decent sized oozing wound. Thanatos roared and raised up his hands. Electricity shot out in all directions, hitting all the Heroes. Yu and Pyrrha were unaffected but the attack hit Aigis and Ruby hard.

Pyrrha found she had an ability she did not previously know about. Preparing to throw her spear again, she pointed her hand at Thanatos. The electricity that had hit her arced from her hand at struck Thanatos, stronger than when it had hit her. She made a mental note of the ability, as did all the others, then threw her spear as planned. It flew high and fast, hitting Thanatos in the eye. Thanatos groaned and ripped the weapon out. He threw it back at Pyrrha with incredible speed but she easily caught it. Thanatos thrust his free hand out at Pyrrha and ice instantly encased her. He flew over and raised his sword to smash her.

Ruby zipped up and down Thanatos' back, slashing at his wings with Crescent Rose. Thanatos spun around but she was fast enough to stay behind him as he turned. Aigis rushed up to Thanatos and fired her guns into him. She raised her hands over her head and brought them down. Spectral arrows appeared above Thanatos and rained down on him, cutting into his flesh before fading away. Yu charged forward. Aigis spun around and crouched, cupping her hands in front of her. Yu jumped, planted his foot in Aigis' hands, and Aigis threw him up and at Thanatos. He stabbed his sword into Thanatos' chest and charged it with electricity. Current surged through Thanatos and for a moment he convulsed. Quickly regaining control of his body, Thanatos swept both hands out to his sides and fired erupted all around him. Yu was blasted back through the air in a high arc. Aigis ran under him, caught him and placed him down on his feet. Meanwhile Ruby used her semblance to flee the fire. Interestingly, the flames were swept up in her wake, leaving a trail behind her as she escaped. The fire also had the convenient effect of melting some of the ice that encased Pyrrha. It was enough to allow her to break free.

Thanatos was done reacting. He went on the offensive. Pyrrha was closest at hand. He lifted his blade over his head and brought it crashing down. Pyrrha did not have time to dodge but she did get her shield up. It prevented her from being sliced in two but she was slammed down onto her back by the tremendous force of the strike. Ruby chose the wrong moment to leap into an attack as Thanatos spun around with stunning speed. A sweep of his blade caught Ruby midair and sent her slamming down to the ground. She bounced and rolled to a halt near Pyrrha. Thanatos next charged toward Yu and Aigis. They launched electricity and fire at him but Thanatos ignored the attacks. A single sweep of his blade caught both and sent them flying. They also came to rest near Pyrrha and Ruby. None of them had any aura left.

With all his opponents weak and in one place Thanatos prepared to finish them off. He raised a palm to the sky and a glowing ball of energy appeared above the Heroes. He clenched his fist and brought it down. The ball of energy matched the action and shot downward onto the Heroes. There was a blinding flash and a thunderous explosion. As light filled the space Thanatos landed, exhausted by the powerful attack. To his shock the Heroes still stood when the light faded.

Aigis hunched over and the spectral shields surrounding the Heroes faded away. "I do not think I can do that again." Aigis said. "Luckily, I do not think Thanatos can repeat his attack either. At least he will not be able to for some time."

"We need to finish him off." Pyrrha said. "We're doing damage but not fast enough." Thanatos was indeed covered in oozing wounds, and though exhausted he showed no signs of stopping.

"I have a plan, but I need everyone's help." Yu said. "Pyrrha, it looks like you can amplify electricity." She nodded. "I'm going to shock you and you're going to shock Thanatos."

"I'm ready when you are." Pyrrha said.

"Ruby and Aigis, I need you to create a whirlwind of fire around Thanatos." Yu said. "We need to weaken him and hold him in place so Aigis and I can finish him off."

"Got it." Ruby said.

"Alright, let's do it." Yu said. He stretched his hand out at Pyrrha and blasted her with electricity. If she felt any pain she did not show it, waiting for as much charge to build up as possible. Ruby zipped off in a blur and a flurry of rose petals, running circles around Thanatos. Aigis reached her hands out and fire shot from her palms, hitting the stream of air trailing Ruby. Soon the flames were all around Thanatos, growing taller in a swirling firestorm. Yu had given all he had so Pyrrha unleashed the built up electricity in a blinding blast of lightning. Thanatos was not visible through the flames but the Heroes heard him cry out in agony as the massive charge surged through him.

"Let us finish this." Aigis said. She stopped pouring fire into the flaming tornado and raised a hand over her head. Yu did the same and two glowing balls of energy appeared above Thanatos. They clenched their fists and brought them down and the balls of energy descended, striking Thanatos in a blinding flash and a thunderous explosion. The shockwave blew the fire out and knocked all the Heroes off their feet.

When the light faded Thanatos remained. He had however returned to his human form, lying motionless on his back. The Heroes approached cautiously. "How?" Thanatos asked. "How?! How could I fall to them?!"

"Hubris, Thanatos." Aigis said. "It will be the downfall of us all."

"Shut up." Thanatos hissed. He spit on Aigis. "Kill me. Or do you not have the guts?"

"Would you like to do the honors?" Pyrrha asked, handing her spear to Aigis.

"It's time for you to pay for the pain you caused." Yu said.

"Yeah!" Ruby shouted. "Slay the monster!"

Aigis held the spear over Thanatos' heart. She hesitated. "Maybe...maybe we should not kill him." Aigis said. She withdrew the spear and handed it back to Pyrrha. "If we do, would we be any better than him?"

"Damnit." Yu said. "You might be right."

"We can't just leave him." Pyrrha said. "He's too dangerous."

"But what can we do if we don't kill him?" Ruby asked.

"I think I can help with that." Margaret said.

Yu was startled and jumped a bit. "How do you do that?" He asked. There was Margaret, standing behind him, a glowing blue door just behind her. "Your door glows and we still never notice your arrival."

"I guess I only arrive when you're occupied." Margaret laughed. "I am relieved to see you all alive and well. I was worried when I was unable to contact you or reach that world. Now that Thanatos has been defeated, he can no longer block my intervention."

"How do we know it's really you?" Ruby asked. "Hypnos lured us here by pretending to be you."

Margaret smiled deviously and stepped up to Yu. "Close your eyes, please." She said. Yu looked a bit nervous but did so. Margaret leaned in and kissed him passionately. After holding the kiss for what seemed like a bit too long, she leaned back, the same devious smile on her face. "Has that asuaged your doubts?"

"Okay, you're the real Margaret." Yu said, his face bright red.

"Holy crap, you really do get around." Ruby gasped.

"Uh, yeah, can you guys do me a favor and never mention this to anyone." Yu said.

"I would make the same request." Margaret said. "It would be quite the scandal if word got out that I would do something as indecent as kissing a guest."

"Your secret's safe with us." Pyrrha promised.

"Oh for the love of...would somebody please just kill me?" Thanatos asked.

"You are not getting off that easily." Aigis said. She roughly picked up Thanatos. "Lead on Margaret."

* * *

"Man, just waiting here is boring." Akihiko complained.

"It's only been a few minutes." Mitsuru said. "Have some patience."

Akihiko looked around for something to do. He could at least use the time to get some training in. Then he remembered an old promise. "Hey Yang." He said.

"What's up?" Yang asked.

"You promised you'd spar with me." Akihiko said. "I know we just fought but I wasn't in control so I don't think that counts."

"I promised I'd spar with you if you followed the doctors' orders." Yang said. "Mitsuru, did he hold up his end of the bargain?"

"Mostly." Mitsuru admitted. "He wasn't happy about it but he did what they said."

"Alright then, let's do this." Yang said. "Anything's better than just sitting here worrying."

"Nice." Akihiko said. He found a spot on the arena floor a little distance away from the others that had not been damaged by the recent fighting. "So, what rules?" He asked. "Boxing, kickboxing, no holds barred?"

"Boxing sounds good." Yang said. "Bare knuckles, no weapons." She took off her gauntlets and tossed them to Blake. "Do you have any stipulations?"

"No auras." Akihiko said. "Hey Naoto, you're impartial. Take our auras down would you?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Naoto said. "Mitsuru?"

"Just do it." Mitsuru sighed. "Let him get this out of his system."

"Alright." Naoto said. "Brace yourselves." She blasted Yang and Akihiko with a powerful gale until their auras failed. "There you go. I suppose I should serve as referee as well."

"I don't think we'll need one, but sure." Yang said.

"Are you both ready?" Naoto asked. Yang and Akihiko nodded. Naoto held her hand out between them and quickly pulled it out of the way. "Begin."

Akihiko leapt forward and fired off a flurry of punches at Yang. She blocked his strikes and pushed inside his effective range. Yang punched him in the gut then jumped back and uppercutted him in the jaw. Akihiko fell flat on his back, his eyes glazed over, a soft moan emanating from his throat. Naoto stepped in between the combatants and waved her hands over Akihiko. Yang raised her hands over her head in triumph.

Mitsuru walked over and knelt next to Akihiko with a heavy sigh. "Are you happy now?" She asked.

"What happened?" Akihiko groaned.

"You got knocked out." Mitsuru said. "She totally outclassed you."

"I guess I'll have to train harder then." Akihiko said.

"How did I know you'd say that?" Mitsuru sighed.

The door to Thanatos opened, bathing the arena in light. Everyone looked to it nervously, waiting to see who emerged. The first through was Margaret. She was followed by Yu, then Aigis carrying Thanatos, Ruby and finally Pyrrha. Everyone crowded around with hugs and cheers for all.

"Why is Thanatos still alive?" Hypnos asked.

Margaret walked up to Hypnos. "Don't ever pretend to be me again." She said. She started to turn away then turned back and punched him in the side of the head.

"Ouch...I guess I deserved that." Hypnos said. "I won't be messing with you guys again. I promise."

"We could not just kill Thanatos." Aigis said. "Fortunately, Margaret has come up with a suitable punishment."

"Bring him here." Margaret said, standing in the center of the arena. Aigis carried Thanatos over and dropped him on the ground at Margaret's feet. "This place will be your prison." Spectral chains surged up from the floor, wrapping all around Thanatos and pinning him to the floor. Margaret and Aigis backed up and a series of cages appeared to surround him.

"What if he escapes?" Yang asked. "I don't want any of us to have to go through this again."

"After we depart, I will seal this world off." Margaret said. "He will have nowhere to go."

"What should we do about Hypnos?" Labrys asked. "He helped us, but he's still evil."

"I already promised I wouldn't mess with you guys again." Hypnos protested.

"You won't mess with anyone." Margaret said. "That is unless you want to share your brother's fate."

"I know a credible threat when I hear one." Hypnos said. "You won't be hearing from me again."

"Good." Margaret said. "Now that this is resolved, I can return you all to your homes."

"Already?" Rise complained. "We always have to say goodbye so soon."

"I've been preventing the flow of time so you would not be missed." Margaret said. "It is difficult, so I would prefer it if you hurry."

"We understand." Blake said.

"I hope we get to see you guys again." Nora said. "I mean, under better circumstances."

Two doors appeared, one on either side of Margaret. "Earth, Remnant." She pointed to each in turn.

"Keep being awesome." Yosuke said with a wave.

"I'm sure we'll meet again." Ruby said. "Good luck!"

* * *

Epilogue

Teams RWBY and JNPR stepped through the door and found themselves in Team JNPR's room. It was just as they had left it. "Well, that was certainly an experience." Pyrrha said. "It's going to take me a long time to get over all that, if I ever do."

"Don't be so pessimistic." Nora said. "It all turned out great!"

"Yeah, it was really rough for a while there, but it all worked out." Ruby said. "And I think we're all better friends for it."

"I must admit that saving the world was quite a thrill." Pyrrha said.

"That's the spirit." Yang said. "We should stay positive."

"That's easy for you to say." Blake said. "You weren't dead."

"Oh it wasn't that bad." Nora said.

"I just hope that all my deaths are that temporary." Jaune said.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving." Ruby said. Everyone looked to Ren.

Ren sighed. "I'll make some pancakes." He said.

"Yay!" Nora cheered.

"I guess if you guys are going to be happy, I should be happy too." Blake relented.

"Yeah, and we've got a lot to look forward to." Weiss said. "The tournament's only a few days away. We'll have a great time."

"There's no doubting that." Ruby said. "I can't wait!"

* * *

Team YYRN and the Shadow Operatives arrived back on Earth, finding themselves atop the hill overlooking Inaba. "I can't believe Yang knocked me out so easily." Akihiko said. "What's wrong with me? She was even injured."

"You were dead for a while there." Labrys reminded him. "That might have something to do with it."

"That's true." Akihiko said. "Maybe it was a fluke. No, I can't treat it like that. I need to get stronger!"

"You need to get back for your classes." Mitsuru said. "Don't think you can take the day off just because you helped save the world."

"You don't let up do you?" Akihiko said. "Well Aigis, I guess we should get going then. You can tell me about fighting Thanatos on the train ride."

"I will see you later." Aigis said as she and Akihiko separated from the others.

"Labrys and I should be going as well." Mitsuru said. "The sooner we get her repaired the better."

"It was nice to see you all." Labrys said. "We should hangout some time, maybe when the world isn't hangin' in the balance."

"That sounds good." Yu said. "Take care you two." Mitsuru and Labrys departed, leaving YYRN alone.

"Well partner, you saved the world again." Yosuke said. "This must be getting routine for you."

"I don't know about that." Yu said. "And I couldn't have done it without you."

"I was dead most of the time, so I think you would have been fine." Yosuke said. "Anyway, I'm sure you three have a lot to talk about. I'll leave you too it."

"See you later." Yu said.

"Don't be late or I'll tell the others about you and Naoto's date." Yosuke said as he walked off.

"You two probably want to finish your date, so I'll get out of your hair." Rise said. She started to walk away.

"Wait." Naoto said. Rise stopped and turned around. "I was thinking about what the shadow version of me said in there."

"Don't worry about it." Rise said. "I won't stand between the two of you."

"Hold on, let me finish." Naoto implored. "I was thinking that there has to be some sort of arrangement that will make everyone happy."

"What do you mean?" Rise asked.

"I'm not so insecure or needy that I need Yu all to myself." Naoto replied. "If it would make you happy…"

"Naoto, do you realize what you're proposing?" Yu asked.

"I do." Naoto answered. "As happy as I am now, and as much as I would love it if it were just you and me, I can't stand the idea that my best friend is in pain. With some clearly defined boundaries I'm sure we could work something out."

"You two have a good thing." Rise said. "I don't want you to jeopardize that for me. I'll be fine, really."

"We could at least try." Naoto said. "I want you to share the happiness we have. If that means I need to make some sacrifices, I'm willing to do so."

"Maybe we should get Yu's opinion on this." Rise suggested.

As much as he wanted to shout 'jackpot' Yu realized that it was not a good idea. He was also not without reservations. "Let's give it a shot and see what happens." Yu said.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm starving." Rise said. "What do you say we go to my grandmother's and Naoto and I make something for you?"

"That sounds fantastic." Naoto agreed.

Yu shuddered. "What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

END

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I apologize for ruining this comedy ending with something heartfelt, but here goes.

This story - all 54.5 chapters, 358 pages and eight months it took to write - is dedicated to Monty Oum, as is everything I will ever write.

If you're reading this on the day it's posted, February 1, 2016, you're probably aware that today is significant. This day a year ago was the first time in my adult life that I cried. It's been a difficult year for a lot of us, and I'm no exception. But I'm not that important. I must thank Monty for all he did, for the worlds he created, for the inspiration he provided. Through them he achieved something most can never hope to, immortality. The end of every journey is but the beginning of the next.

As much a creator as any god, as inspirational as any orator, and yet as kindly and humble as anyone who ever lived. The world is brighter for his having lived in it. Thank you Monty, for everything.

Keep Moving Forward.

I'll close with a request to everyone reading this: Today is a difficult day for many. Please be respectful.


End file.
